2018/08/21 - Mayor's Column: City Fest Recap
“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
What a great weekend for O’Fallon! An excellent group of volunteers put in over a year of work to start the inaugural City Fest. The weather cooperated, attendance was great, all-in-all a very successful event. We look forward to celebrating City Fest with the O’Fallon community for years to come!
I was very proud to see this event come together. When I was campaigning for Mayor, one of the top recommendations I received was to bring back a city picnic. As I walked around Community Park and in the parade this past weekend, I was proud to see that O’Fallon was able to once again come together and throw a community picnic we all can be proud of.
There are so many people to thank for this event. A very special thank you goes out to the individuals who stepped up and took lead of the planning: City Fest Chairs Alderman Bob Kueker, Alderman Dan Witt, and Megan Breeding; Advertising and Printing Chair Joni Bugger Fultz; Parade Chair Marcie Bugger Lapolice; Float Chair Roger Van Etten; Car Show Chair Sonny Sterthman; Bike Ride and Fun Run Chair Jon Greenstreet; and City Clerk Jerry Mouser on his help with the set-up, car show, and clean-up.
I also want to thank everyone that has been involved in the planning of City Fest. It is special to see an idea come to life. Thank you to all our volunteers who helped work City Fest. And of course, I want to thank our sponsors, without their generosity, none of this would have been possible.
I also want to point out how proud I am of our City Staff. While this event was led by volunteers, a lot of the coordination, especially for public safety and facilities, was the work of our excellent City Staff. In addition to our men and women in uniform, the crowd at City Fest was filled with many City Employees. It’s a great sight, and reminder, that O’Fallon’s staff are not just workers, but also part of the O’Fallon community.
Last but not least, to the O’Fallon Community… Thank You! You embraced the idea of once again having a community festival. And you showed your support by attending. This community continues to amaze me.
With the success of this year’s City Fest, I am excited about the future of the event. I do not have exact numbers or statistics for this year’s attendance, but given the eye test, it was well attended and a fun event for all.
Planning for next year’s City Fest begins as soon as everyone has a chance to catch their breath!
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!