CLINTON —
A week after throwing the Save the Fourth of July festival and parade, Erin George and sister Emily Steenhard have already begun planning for next year. This time, the sisters have a group of dedicated individuals also ready to plan and 12 months to do it.
While original figures for attendance at the inaugural celebration last Wednesday floated around 1,000, that number has increased. An estimated 2,000 people attended, and the sisters suspect more would have if temperatures had not been in the upper 90s.
The group discussion, which included various individuals from all sectors on the community such as Mayor Mark Vulich, Fire Chief Mike Brown and Police Capt. James Klaes, as well as those from Rastrelli’s, the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre and the LumberKings, was a flurry of ideas about what the celebration should be next year.
One of the first things the group focused on was what to maintain from the inaugural year and what to improve.
“I’m OK with aiming for free again,” George said. The rest of the group agreed.
If the group were to charge admission for the festival, it would create more work such as establishing a gate instead of the free and open festival held this year.
The group also floated the idea of having donation boxes around town for residents to contribute to throughout the year in order to raise more funds. In the 35 days of fundraising for this year, the sisters raised $17,000.
The event will continue to be community and family oriented and will again be a one day festival held on the Fourth of July. While the sisters have heard suggestions to make the event longer, they intend to maintain their model of a single day packed with events.
Becoming a non-profit organization is also a priority for the group They will form a board of directors and discussed a number of sub-committees such as those in charge of entertainment or food. According to Steenhard, festival goers consumed 1,200 slices of pizza, 800 hamburgers and 1,200 snow-cones. With hope that numbers will increase in the festival’s second year, the group will address the best approach to feeding more than 2,000 people.
Meetings for the group will continue monthly.
Features
Related Photos
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Jace Hellweg, 6, and Sophia Morley, 3, both of Clinton, compete in the watermelon eating contest on Wednesday during the Save the Fourth celebrations in Riverview Park. Katie Dahlstrom/Clinton Herald
Discussion
July 12, 2012
Planning begins for next year’s 4th event
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