Festival in the Park--looking back

Though the wind almost sent a few booth canopy tops flying, the breeze kept the Saturday of Festival in the Park cool enough for a lovely day of fun and music. Families lined the street north of the park to enjoy the parade and then packed the park for the music performances.

Clarion’s Festival in the Park is 38 years old this year. The first yearly “Day of Music” for Clarion was Saturday, June 30 of 1979, after the park gazebo was built patterned after the one that had been part of the park since the late 1800s. The project was spearheaded by Dr. Richard Young, and many people donated their time and labor to make the restoration of the gazebo a reality. Nearly $5,000 was donated for the project. Others involved in the reconstruction included Elmer Brandt, Dick Ashpole, and Cliff Downing in addition to many other volunteers.

Clarionites also celebrated the first Festival in the park with an old-fashioned box social dinner, a dance at the airport hangar, open houses, displays, and even historical costumes.

Performers this year included singers from Kids Korner, dance performances by the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Dance Team and Clarion Dance and Tumbling, and music by Tessa Yackle, Texas Style Jams, the Wright County Wrambler, the Simmons Family, and the Traveling Museum of Music.

For photos from this year's Festival weekend, see the June 15 edition of the Monitor.