Area residents shouldn’t complain about not having something to do in July for July must be the peak month for community celebrations in the Heartland.
I remember the time I had friends visiting from West Virginia. They were en route to a family reunion in South Dakota and only stopped here for the third weekend in July. Like many years the mercury reached 110 on Saturday and I had celebrations in Davenport, Mankato and Republic to cover.
I didn’t know what else to do other than load them in the newspaper vehicle and head out for a day of celebration. First stop was the Davenport Achievement Day.
We were there in the morning for an enjoyable program in the air conditioned Achievement Building. Our afternoon stop was a sweltering one at the Jewell County Threshing Bee. From Mankato we headed over to Republic. On the way home from Republic I detoured through Lovewell State Park. As we passed the swimming beach, they asked to stop. I was surprised for they appeared to be exhausted. I debated about visiting the park for I thought they were eager to retreat into the air conditioned Blauvelt home.
They didn’t have swimming suits but that didn’t matter. After riding in an automobile that lacked a factory air conditioning system, they were so hot and salty, they headed straight for the water and didn’t stop until only their heads were above the water line.
We thought we had had a hard day but what about the volunteers who put on the programs? They were probably on their feet working for hours. For those celebrations to be successful, thousands of man hours were probably invested in planning, arranging and putting on the shows.
This week I have been visiting with members of the Nuckolls County Fair Board and the Jewell County Historical Society about the events they have in the works. Their excitement is contagious. The 149th Nuckolls County Fair is still a week away and the board has started planning for the 150th fair scheduled for 2025. Wednesday a Superior Sesquicentennial planning meeting was held. It is time to get ready for a really big blowout in the nRepublican Valley in observance of next year’s150th anniversary of the founding of Superior. Community supporters know it is none to soon to start organzing an event to celebrate that milestone.
It is hard to grasp the amount of work that goes into a community production.
For example the Jewell County Threshing Bee is planned for Saturday and Sunday. However, Jack Alcorn, president of the county historical society, advised Monday that food truck operators plan to be set-up in the Mankato Park on Friday and serve the people who will be there preparing for the “official” event and probably a few other people who just happen by. Likewise, the band scheduled to play throughout the day on Saturday plans to provide dancing music in the park Friday night. I’m not sure who they expect to attend Friday’s dance. Certainly it wouldn’t be me if I had worked all day in the park getting ready for Saturday.
Surely there are lots of tired Jewell County folks for the county fair concluded its run earlier this week but Plow Day and the threshing bee will soon be here.
Even the simplest events don’t just happen.
Some of our past favorite events no longer happen because the volunteer organizers grew old and tired and no one stepped up to take their place.
The next time you attend a community event, take time to thank the organizers and while you are setting at home by the air conditioner commit to being a volunteer and helping with a community event.
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