Fall is community festival time in Eastern Jackson County, with Santa-Cali-Gon and Fall Fun Fest topping the list of annual festivals. I look forward to attending the Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival each year, both as a consumer and as a volunteer.
Those who attend the festival find a wide range of booths and activities. Familiar ones for me include Timothy Lutheran Burgers, St. Peter’s walking tacos and Keck’s root beer. I’m guilty of being just a little too focused on food, but these delicacies only come around once a year! Other booths are more than enough to pique our interest and give each of us the opportunity to spend time with our friends and neighbors while shopping, playing and eating.
The Blue Springs festival is organized by the Chamber of Commerce. For many months, beginning in the middle of winter, committees are meeting and planning the activities for their respective part of the festival. Vendor booths are reserved, sponsors are identified, and entertainment is auditioned and decided upon. Beginning on the Thursday before the festival, the actual setup begins. Dozens of volunteers from the community work together to distribute pop and water to the booth locations, barricades are put up, and stages and tents are assembled.
While stopping to take a breath, a group of volunteers discussed why we all work so hard each year to set up this event for the community. We all agreed that it certainly is a labor of love, and an opportunity for fellowship with other chamber members and volunteers from the community. After working together on the festival for over a decade, strong friendships have evolved.
One of the vendors, seeing my councilman name badge, stopped me on Main Street and complimented me on the festival. He said he does festivals all over the Midwest and always enjoys our Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival. When I asked what made our festival special, he responded that it was the way the community comes together in support of the festival, and the volunteers that work tirelessly to ensure a smooth, well organized festival. We sometimes take it for granted, but those that see other festivals appreciate the extra effort our community gives.
Ours is a growing family of friends and colleagues that pull together, working side by side to make our community a better place to live, play, and work. Get involved with your local chamber, and you can become a part of this growing family of volunteers. Join us, and have fun while making your community a better place!