Planning Meeting Notes - August 8th
The August 8th Downtown Festival planning meeting got off to a great start. There was a lot of fun and laughter to be had as we discussed various topics and welcomed the new Photography Competition coordinator to the meeting.
Introductions were made and then we got down to business. There was quick facilities talk covering the festival and Chamber supplies storage as well as updates on electrical issues. Signage was touched on with suggestions for the placement to help guide visitors during the festival.
Getting the word out was a big topic for the evening. The committee discussed ways to better engage the community and activities that the committee could get involved in.
We reviewed concession opportunities at the Kansas Star Casino in the coming months. These fundraisers are a lot of fun and help finance festival events and activities. Let us know if you would be interested in helping out for a few hours.
Things are starting to get serious as updated registration forms for a number of events were discussed as well as ways of getting the information out to a wider audience. There were check-ins from the Chamber, Car Show, the Poker Run team, Vendors, and Glow Run as they spoke about plans to streamline events and bring them into alignment with similar area events.
There was an update on the new Downtown Festival website. The site will be live soon and you will be able to get your forms and festival info there at belleplainefestival.com.
The button design contest dominated as the committee went over the rules and participation details. We are celebrating 35 years of downtown fun and the theme for 2020 is “Looking to the Future”. The contest will run until November 1st. We are looking forward to seeing the community’s creativity! Details will be posted soon!
We updated our events seeking coordinators wishlist. We are asking the community for help. We can’t make any of these events happen without volunteers. Most events are easy to organize and take little time. The facilities team can always use an extra hand. If there is some other way you would like to get involved let us know!
Our next planning meeting is on September 12th at 6:30 pm at the Belle Plaine Community Center. The meeting is open to everyone and we encourage the community to get involved!
Let us know your thoughts, ideas, and questions! Post, message, or email us at our new email address belleplainefestival@gmail.com! We look forward to hearing from you!
The Downtown Festival Committee covered a lot of ground planning our 35th annual party during the July 11th meeting, but we were still done in under two hours!