Dan Edson:
Welcome to Highlight My Town. I’m Dan Edson with eXp Realty and I’m here with Melissa Ferrari. You are the special events manager for Belton Parks and Rec, am I right?
Melissa Ferrari:
That’s right.
Dan Edson:
All right. We’re here to talk about SummerFest coming up on June 5th from noon until?
Melissa Ferrari:
10:00 PM.
Dan Edson:
10:00 PM.
Melissa Ferrari:
Yes.
Dan Edson:
So, tell us some of the events and festivities coming up.
Melissa Ferrari:
It’s a long day, but it’ll be a great day filled with lots of stuff for the community, kids, older adults, families. Just come on out. We’ll have food trucks there, we’ll have a beer garden sponsored by Brew Bakers. The Peculiar Winery will be there. We’ll also have bands, we’ll have live entertainment, Miss Belton contest, a corn hole tournament that we’re still accepting people too. Kid’s Pedal Tractor Pull, sponsored by Heritage Tractor. All of this is made possible by Hy-Vee Belton. They’re our primary sponsor of SummerFest.
Dan Edson:
Sounds like an exciting event.
Melissa Ferrari:
It will be, yes.
Dan Edson:
We’re here with Stephanie Davidson. You are the president of Belton Community Projects. Tell us a little bit about how the SummerFest event came to be.
Stephanie Davidson:
So for years and years and years, BCPI did Community Days, so a lot of people were familiar with that event. Just over the years, our volunteer numbers had dwindled and we were down to about four volunteers. Really, an event like Community Days just becomes just unsustainable with that small number of volunteers. So we really looked for other opportunities to get the community involved and have those events. We were so thankful that the parks and rec department was able to step in and create a community event in place of Community Days.
Dan Edson:
Great partnership there. Melissa, tell us about the Belton businesses. What businesses are sponsoring SummerFest?
Melissa Ferrari:
Hy-Vee is the presenting sponsor this year. We’re so glad to have their support. They’ll be out there also with a Hy-Vee food truck, in addition to some other food trucks. So, we’re thrilled to have their partnership. They’ve been a long-time sponsor of Belton Parks Event, so they’re back on board again. Heritage Tractor is doing the first time we’ve ever done the Kid’s Tractor Pedal Pull. We need people to sign up for that event. It’s absolutely free, there’s three different weight classes for kids. That starts at 12:30, so call Belton Parks and Recreation if you’d like to sign your kid up for that.
Melissa Ferrari:
We also have a corn hole tournament too. So we’ve got lots of space still available for that. It starts at noon and that will go throughout the day. So, we also have Brew Bakers and Peculiar Winery that has sponsored the beer garden. They’ll be out there onsite as well. Events don’t happen without money, and we don’t get money from other sources. So, it’s imperative that we have businesses in the community step up to fund these things, otherwise we don’t have a firework show, we don’t have the fun things for the community to do. So, that’s why our sponsors, we appreciate what they bring to the table so much.
Dan Edson:
Stephanie, tell us about the Miss Belton Pageant. How long has it been going on? Give us an overview of the Miss Belton pageant.
Stephanie Davidson:
So as long as I’ve been with BCPI, so that’s been since 2007 now, I’ve been chairperson for the Miss Belton contest. So, it’s been really cool to see some of the little kids, well, the little ones that started off in the junior pageants, actually get to a point where they’re running for Miss Belton now. It makes me feel really old. So, we’re so excited.
Stephanie Davidson:
So far this year we have three entries right now. Great girls, great candidates looking to be a good representative of their communities. The winner will get a $250 cash prize and a very pretty tiara and sash that is lined with rhinestones. I’m very excited about that. Our main sponsor this year for the $250 cash prize is Main Street Performing Arts Center. So, we’re very excited for their partnership, and also Casey Face Cosmetics, who’s doing the $100 sponsorship, or the gold sponsorship that will take care of the flowers, the sash, and the beautiful tiara that we are excited to hand out this year.
Dan Edson:
So, come out to SummerFest and check out the Miss Belton Pageant.
Stephanie Davidson:
Yes, yes. Miss Belton Pageant will be at 4:00 that Saturday of SummerFest, and it’ll be on that main stage. We look forward to seeing you.
Dan Edson:
So, tell us about the fireworks show. Residents are excited about the fireworks.
Melissa Ferrari:
Right. After a year without anything like that, we’re thrilled to have it back out at Memorial Park, a beautiful park. If you haven’t been there, there’s so many things to do. We have an outdoor water park, an events facility, ball fields, playgrounds. So beautiful park to have it in, and they’ll be going on right over the ball field. So, it’s very exciting to us.
Melissa Ferrari:
Premier Pyrotechnics is doing the show again for us. It’s just something that we’re hoping residents will come out. Whether you’re onsite at the park or you’re somewhere else in Belton, you’ll be able to see that display above. We’re thrilled to offer it again, free of charge to the community, so please come out. It should start between 9:30 and 9:45.
Dan Edson:
Sounds like a fun fireworks display.
Melissa Ferrari:
It will. Yes, it will be.
Dan Edson:
I hear there’s going to be a parade this year at SummerFest.
Stephanie Davidson:
Yes, we are so excited to finally be able to bring back a community parade. I know everybody’s really been looking forward to having an event like that on Main Street, since the pandemic and everything. That will be Saturday, June 5th. In coordination with SummerFest, the parade will actually start at 11:00 AM and it will run, this is important, it’ll run backwards down Main Street. That way, it can actually end in Memorial Park where SummerFest is taking place.
Stephanie Davidson:
So, anybody can participate in the parade. The lineup will happen beginning at 10:00 AM, and it’ll be at Belton Middle School. There’s no sign up, it’s a first come first serve. We’ll put you in line kind of a situation. So at 11:00 AM, it will start promptly and we’ll run that route down Main Street and head out to Memorial Park where we can start and kick off SummerFest.
Dan Edson:
If someone wants to participate in the parade, they can just show up to the event?
Stephanie Davidson:
They can just show up, that’s correct. We’ll be there to greet them and put them in line.
Dan Edson:
Great. I want to thank you ladies for letting us stop by and highlight this event. It’s an exciting event for the community, so I want to encourage all the residents and all the surrounding communities to come out here and support SummerFest this year. Thanks again.
Stephanie Davidson:
Thank you.
Melissa Ferrari:
Thank you.