Published: April 29, 2008 03:50 pm            

Organizers are finalizing plans for SpringFest 2008

Monticello — Last year, thousands of people attended the first-ever SpringFest in

downtown Monticello. Now, organizers are finalizing plans for SpringFest

2008 and they are hoping that it will be bigger and better.

The festival will expand this year to include a third day, and that

means additional events will be on the schedule.

³Last year, it was a tremendous success thanks to all the partners, the

sponsors and the community,² said Penny Thompson with the Monticello-Wayne

County Chamber of Commerce. ³We are still getting compliments on last year¹s

event.²

Thompson said estimates were that between 6,000 and 8,000 attended

SpringFest last year, and they hope that the numbers will increase this

year. The event is set for May 9, 10 and 11 and will be held at Memorial

Park because of construction in downtown Monticello.

The whole park will be utilized for this year¹s festival, which includes

favorite events like concerts, arts and crafts vendors, a car show and live

entertainment. There is no admission charge for SpringFest.

Things will get started at 6 p.m. Friday, May 9 when SpringFest

officially begins. Vendors will set up throughout the park on Friday and

live entertainment that evening will include Klassyc Tymes. Friday night

events will conclude at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, the festival will begin at 11 a.m., with live music

scheduled throughout the day, including performances by the Bell Tones, Ben

West, Ugly Tree, and Borrowed Blue.

The headline act for the evening will be Classic Rock All Stars, which

includes Jerry Corbetta, original lead singer/keyboard player for Sugarloaf,

Mike Pinera, original lead singer/guitarist of Blues Image and

guitarist/singer of Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper, Peter Rivera, original

lead singer/drummer of Rare Earth, and Dennis Noda, formally of Cannibal and

the Headhunters.

Their hits include: ³Get Ready²; ³Green-Eyed Lady²; ³Don¹t Call Us,

We¹ll Call You²; and ³Ride, Captain, Ride.²

New to SpringFest this year is the KidZone, which will be set up at

Kiwanis Field, and will be open throughout the event. Thompson noted that

last year, many of the vendors offered kids games that were not affordable.

Many children couldn¹t play games because they didn¹t have enough money.

³We decided we wanted to have something free for the kids,² explained

Thompson.

This year, KidZone will provide a place were children can play on the

large inflatables free of charge.

There are plans to offer games at a nominal charge.

The committee has secured sponsorships from city and county government

to help pay for this attraction.

The rock wall will be available throughout the event, as well as the

trackless train ride.

Other new additions to SpringFest this year include a Motorcycle Poker

Run, which will be held Saturday. The ride will begin at Memorial Park at

12:30 p.m.

There will be five card draw stops along the ride. Cash prizes will be

awarded for the best hand and the worst hand.

Also scheduled for Saturday is the classic car show and the tractor

show. Cars and trucks will be free to come and participate and leave

throughout the day. Saturday¹s events will conclude at approximately 11

p.m., following the concert.

On Sunday, events will begin at 1 p.m. Since it is Mother¹s Day there

will be a special celebration for mothers, with prizes being awarded. Top

prizes include a trip to a day spa and a weekend houseboat vacation.

Entertainment on Sunday includes The Gospel Enforcers, Live Fish, and

The Daltons.

So far, there has been a tremendous interest in this year¹s event.

Thompson said 21 vendors have signed up so far, and she received 526

inquiries about the event during the month of April.

Anyone who would like more information about SpringFest can contact the

Chamber Office at (606) 348-3064.

        

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