Kevin Dugal from 5K
events is here. Not only is
the old event calendar. That's
old. Throw it out. That's no
good anymore. That's your
fresh one. We have a new one
with new events on it just
keeps growing. It does. It gets
it. It's growing and getting
better every day. There's new
events that we're working on
that will be added to this short
ly. So a lot of great things
coming up. Let's start off
with the biggest change. And
this is it's going to take
people well to get this with
their head for decades. The
Racine concert band played at
the koanis band show at the
Racine zoo. That's changed
this year. They are now at
festival park. You call it
rotary park or festival park?
Well, we in, you know, a little
inside baseball. We still call
it festival park, but of course
you know, the sign outs. It's
rotary park. Yeah, the rotary
you know, Paul P Harris, you
know, he was the the founder
of the international rotary.
So does named in his honor. So
yeah, he is honored with the
naming of the park, but, you
know, for us here internally
and then for the most of the
most of the public here in
Racine, it they identified as
festival park. If you say
rotary park, where's that? Yeah.
You know, yeah, festival park.
I know where it is. Okay, so
the Racine concert band is
moving to festival park. Right.
Now, I said to somebody that
it's where the ice skating
rink used to be. Where's that?
Now, I remember that. I'm
not a native to receive. Yeah.
The ice skating rink is long,
long gone, but there's a big
tenth there. They call it the
beer tent. And we call it the
event tent. The event tent. Yeah,
but when I said beer tent, you
know what I was talking about?
We call it the event tent. Yeah.
As long as I know where to go.
And it's going to be under the
tent where the old ice skating
rink used to be right in front
of right when you could go through
the gates. That's on the west side
of the park. Yeah, west side of
that's very good. That's why
you're running five K events
and on that west side of the
park. And that's where it's
going to be this Sunday.
Boy, it's this Sunday already.
It's a Sunday. It's a Sunday
night. And we had Mark
Eichner here and the Shawn
DeGrosso. We're in here talking
about it. They got people have
to remember it's not the zoo
anymore. Right. It's going to
be a change in the change in the
paradigm, as they say. So you
know how people love change. Yeah.
I love it. So I'm sure Beth
Hydorn who was the executive
director of the zoo will upside
up there telling people. Yeah.
But yeah. So and it's free
parking because it's after seven
o'clock at night. Yeah. And
it's going to be a little
closer. You know, they're not
having to walk across Main
Street from from the zoo
parking lots or anything like
that or trying to find street
parking. It is going to be
it's incredibly convenient.
Something that we're also
offering is, yeah, we'll have
concessions. So there'll be,
you know, beer wine,
seltzer, soft drinks, and then
you know, some light snacks.
You know, hot dogs,
popcorn, candy, and are in
our infamous walking taco,
which has become quite the
hit down at the park. So
okay. So we'll have all
that. And that's going to be
all summer long from now on
at festival park, festival
park. Okay. And again,
this Sunday and all the
concerts will begin at seven.
That used to vary it because
it got dark and people
couldn't see the sheet music.
They have to run. I couldn't
see whatever's reading. So
yeah. So it's going to be seven
o'clock all summer. Same
time they called downbeat.
You should know that you're
in the music business.
The downbeat will be at seven
o'clock. We're seeing
concert band that's starting
this Sunday. Let's go to the
list here. Got July 10th.
The science of reading.
Yeah, the science of
reading. That is that
Memorial Hall. That's just
kind of a. That's right.
We have Memorial Hall also.
Memorial Hall. Yes, that is
under our, our purview as
well. So, you know, science
of reading, it's really just
kind of a seminar for a K
through five teachers to, you
know, kind of get a little
more efficient in the teaching
of reading to the kids.
Different resources training
methods, things of that nature.
So yeah, really great event
that's new for us this year.
Okay, and I, you know, I have
to mention that. So it's
festival park, Rotary Park,
festival hall and Memorial
Hall. Did you know Memorial
Hall is the site of the very,
very, very first broadcast
at WRJN back in 1926.
Yeah, December 6th. They had
an orchestra. They brought
the microphone and WRJN was
born at festival. I had Memorial
Hall. Yeah, I love the history
of this radio station and I
just love, I have a love for
us, you know, small town radio
anyway, not that we've seen
small town, but whatever you
travel around the state, you
can see billboards for the local
radio station. I was trying to
tune it in and check it out for
a little bit. I just have a
just kind of a geek that way.
You think you're a geek? I go
inside. We're traveling
down south to New Orleans and
we stopped in that way.
We stopped in Walnut, Mississippi.
Don't ask where it is. Yeah.
Walnut, Mississippi, and my wife
says, Oh, look, there's a radio
station. I went in there.
I took pictures of it because
they said, no one's going to
believe this. What the
what the station looked like.
Yeah, it's like my first full
time on air job was at a small
FM station in Sherman, Texas
right on the Oklahoma border.
We all worked at small station.
That's where we all started.
Yeah. Yeah.
Okay, let's talk about salmon
arama, salmon arama.
We're excited to have that back
for the second year. Yeah,
what now you said it's coming
back. Yeah, so where was it?
It had been for a number of
years. It had been out on the
Causeway just on the east side
of Reef Point brewhouse in the
parking lot over there. That's
where they had it. That's
really been there for a number
of years after. I'm not sure
what it but led to. I think I
know what led it to leave
festival park, but eventually
it migrated out there.
But that was one of the first
things we worked on as we were
negotiating the contract to
to oversee the parks.
We wanted salmon arama to come
back, and that was one of the
first things we secured working
with the folks from salmon
unlimited right here in
Racine, or we call it fish fest.
Yeah, it's there's other names
for it that young people used
to call it, but fish fest.
Okay, so salmon arama comes
in July 11th for 10 11 days or
10 days and it's, you know,
of course, it's the largest
fishing tournament on the
Great Lakes. And you can see
the wagons. Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, go down there throughout
the day. Every day of the event
you'll see guys with their
coolers with the big, you know,
fish tails hanging out of it
and coming in the way up and then
see what they got and then go
take them to get smoked or
whatever they're going to do with
them. And you know, there's
live music throughout the run
of the event and, you know,
vendor tents and industry
displays, things of that nature.
So it's going to be a great
thing to see the fish and the
coolers. You do, yeah. It's
amazing that the size of some
of these fish that get hauled
out of Lake Michigan in very
close proximity to our shore.
So pop up craft supply sale.
Yeah, I mean, that is another
event at Abemorial Hall and
that's people who are into the
crafting hobby. Just a lot of
resources for them to come in
and kind of shop for the newest
things in the in the craft world.
Okay. And that will be coming
up on July 11th. July 19th.
So I guess July 19th. We're
seeing River Fest. Well, River
Fest. This is, this is my
favorite event. This is August
second, by the way. This is
August second is Racine
River Fest. And this is a
great event. It is a
collaboration amongst all the
yacht clubs along the root
river. So you're going to have
the Racine yacht club with
their Racine Regatta. Then you
come down to Chartroom and
Bridge Tender. They're going to
have a classic car show and some
live music. Migrate down the
river a little bit more to harbor
light with the cardboard yacht
races and live music and then
around the band to fifth street
yacht club where they'll have
their duck races. And so the
night and or actually the day ends
at a back at festival park will
have live music and fireworks.
All right. You know, I tried to
look up the other day to see how
those drone shows work in the
sky. I still don't understand it.
I know what they said. They're
synchronized. How many drones
are up there during that event?
And why they bang into each other?
Yeah. I've heard amazing
things like, you know, for the
the big fireworks display with
these call the big bang in Milwaukee.
Now they've been in their own
place by their own show. So I'm
interested to see one. You know,
hopefully one will find its way.
I just want to see how it's done.
Yeah. How they keep from crashing
in each other. No, Chris, they
start and they form different
things. And nobody bangs into
each other. Sounds incredible.
How many are up there? Hundreds?
It's got to be. It's got to be.
I don't know how they do that. I
want to know behind the scenes.
Yeah. Inquiry minds want to know.
Yesterday Latino. That's coming up
August 8th August 8th of the
10th. Yesterday Latino. This is
another event that we're really
excited about. We think this is
probably going to be our biggest
event of the year. It is a family
event. It focuses on all the
Latin cultures here in receipt.
Not just Mexico, but you know,
all the all the Latin cultures.
So there'll be, you know, traditional
music, food, cultural, you know,
displays, vendors, things of that
nature. So yeah, we're very
excited about it. So we're going
to also have some carnival
rides. You guys are measuring
the park for where some of the
carnival rides are going to go.
So it's going to be an amazing
event. We're through Mid
August now with August 16th.
The park beer. Is it Zara?
Am I saying right? The park
beers are. This is something that
we're doing in conjunction with
the the Tavern League of
Wisconsin. It really kind of
celebrates the the bar culture
here in Racine and which is a
huge part of our economy here
in Racine. You know, there's
a lot of things going on here
here in Racine. You know,
getting around that and it's
kind of we all grew up going to
or wanting to go to our favorite
bars that our dad's played
softball for. I know I did.
And so it's kind of a
celebration of that. You know,
great live music. We've got a
great band from Kenosha called
Conviction and another great
band from here in Racine called
Stone theory that played at
the same time as it as the
title suggests. You know, food
games, you know, every it's
just going to be a fantastic
event down at festival park on
August 16th. Summer is over.
Summer is over on September
6th. We're baking and brews
fast. But the fest just don't
stop. No, they don't. Bacon
and brews fast. We're going to
kick off the day with our beer
five kegs run that will leave
from festival park. And then
this is a celebration that
we're doing with the
general times. They do a similar
event out at the Walworth County
Fairgrounds earlier in June. And
so they wanted to bring it here
to Racine as well. And we're
working on the bands and
everything that's going to go
along with that. So a lot of
vendors with beer or bacon
centric food items, beer, music,
event, you know, vendors of all
types. You know, Jim
Gaffick in the committee and we
do a lot of things like that.
And he once said nobody ever
ate water chestnuts until they
wrapped it in bacon. I know
I never did. But he bought
it in bacon. Everything tastes
better with bacon. I pick
them out of all my Asian food.
Bacon. All right, stand down.
What's that? Stand down is a
great event that we do. Sounds
like a police command. Well,
it is a military term, of
course. We do this in conjunction
with the government. There
are last year we had about 40
vendors and they were all
veteran service oriented. So
helping veterans with job
placement with benefits
coordination. You know,
anything a veteran might
have a need for after they've
after they're finished serving
they can get. And then we
also have a lot of surplus
coats, boots, gloves, hats
because unfortunately a lot of
people have been served in
service them that way as well.
So that is an amazing event
that we did last year and it's
coming back in September 13th.
I remember years ago they tore
up Main Street. It was ripped
the shreds. It was horrible.
There was dust everywhere. The
stores on Main Street were
complaining nobody can get to
them. And they replaced it
with this beautiful concrete
pavement, which is gorgeous.
And said cars cannot travel
on this brand new road. We
will forget it. People are
going to walk on it and spill
things on it. We have a party
on it. We have a party on the
pavement and still here and
never stopped. And that's coming up
September 20th. And then we
will have we've got a 5K
leaving from the park called
pound the pavement. That's going
in coordination with that. And
you know, amazingly enough all
that's going to happen. And
the weather is always fantastic.
We get lucky with great weather
in September. So, you know,
all your September events,
you're going to have pretty
good luck with with weather.
The guy who used to work here
said he found it so ironic.
I built this road and the
first thing he did was say no cars
on it. Okay. Bark in the park.
It has to do with dogs. I would
say. Yeah, absolutely. It is
a really good thing. So, you know,
there's a lot of cute
organizations, a lot of veterinarians
for the care of of your fur
baby. As people like to call
them, I never use that term, but
I have fur babies. Yeah. Yeah.
We've got one. We've got a
Victorian bulldog named Fiona
that she's a, you know, very
important to ask, but. So, yeah,
the day is just filled with dogs
and all things dogs and dog
people and everything to go along
with it. So, and that's September
12th. I think we've got one more
we can get in here. October
4th and 5th. The lighthouse
quilters guild. Yeah, the lighthouse
quilters guild that will be at
festival hall October 4th and 5th.
So, it is really, you know, much
like the pop-up craft sale.
People who are into the hobby
and into the lifestyle. And there
are a lot of them around around
here. So, we've got an event
oriented toward them on October
4th and 5th at Festival Hall.
And the scene concert band,
their concerts are moving from
the recined zoo and now they'll
be at Festival Park, Rotary Park,
be under the big tent on the west
side of Memorial of Festival Hall.
And you could be there and bring
yourself to bring their own chairs,
right? Well, under the tent,
we will have some seating.
Once it migrates out to the east
side of the colonnade, then
people will be invited to sit out
and the grass and they can bring
their own chairs and sit on them.
They're of course more than welcome.
My butt likes my chair.
Yeah. It's perfectly forms
of the chair. Okay.
o'clock this Sunday night at
Festival Park or Rotary Park,
get people used to saying that.
Now, if somebody wants to see this
schedule, how can they see that?
You go to festivalpark.com and then
hit the events page and then
upcoming events. So, it'll have a
listing of everything. Also,
find out about sponsorship of
these events because a lot of
these events don't happen without
some of our great sponsors.
So, you know, everything you need
to know and then if I could just
plug the hot harbor nights event
for tonight every Thursday.
Every Thursday. So, our act tonight
is a band called the racing
pulses and they are made up
of some former Walden 3 high
school alumni. We are honoring
Walden 3 high school alumni
and tonight is Walden 3 and you
don't have to be graduate of
Walden 3 to come, but we would
like everybody to come and if you're
a Walden 3 graduate, come and see
some reclassments. As you miss
tonight or tomorrow. We'll get it
up there for you. Thank you, Kevin.
Of course. Kevin McDougall,
five K events doing a great job
in receiving
