Yeah, Chuck doesn't work well and Rick doesn't work well, so we don't use those.
Dougal is here from 5k events, and you have this
Banking brand new calendar ready to go for one of the first you're one of the first people to lay eyes on this
One of the first I should be the first calendar. Well in public. Yes, it's not from our our staff. You are sir
That's the way it should be yeah, definitely so I want to make sure I brought it in for you this one
We just got him yesterday like you said that the ink is probably still wet. It's hard plastic
Yeah, I'll make the last we hang it. We hang it. I hang it up here in the studio
We also hang another one up in the lobby. Yeah, I'll leave this one with you too. Wow. This is nice
Yeah, a great a great lineup. We're very excited about and
You know a lot of the things that are coming up that you know, we've had in years past but also a lot of you know
A lot of great new stuff too, so let's go through some of these here. Yeah, let's start off on February 21th
We got the Heritage Ball. What's that? Yeah, the Heritage Ball is you know part of the Heritage Committee here in Racine
And it's you know celebrates all the all the great work that members of the
African-American community and in other ethnic groups do here in Racine
So it's it's all set up at the hall already and so we're looking forward to having those folks
Then on February 28th the black history youth achievement. Yeah, that's going to be at Memorial Hall
It's features a lot of the the kids from the local high schools that will
Get awards for excellence and academics
Accidents
Excellence in in the arts in athletic achievement and a good citizenship. So that's that that's a great
Day-long event at Memorial Hall. I remember this March 2nd will be the empty balls. Yeah at festival hall
Yeah, empty balls. That's one of our biggest events of the year and
For those of your listeners that may not know what empty balls is it raises awareness for hunger and poverty here in Racine
Benefits Halo, which is the housing assistance leadership organization the hospitality house and other scene county food banks
So we do two shifts of feeds and what you come in and for you what you do is you come in and for 20 bucks
You get a nice handmade clay bowl that you get to pick out and then you go through the line as many times as you'd like and sample a different soups and breads and things that are provided by
Glad of the restaurants here in town
And we do two sessions from 11 to 2 and then 4 to 7 so you can come for lunch or dinner and that is Monday March 2nd
I think last year we fed around 3000 folks. So it is a big day for us down at festival hall
Shamrock and shenanigans. I can't believe we're talking about
That's in Patrick's day. Yeah, this is this is my favorite event of the year because I do like my brown water
As a Scottsman. We we like our brown water. So we're this is a
sampling of
Not only national but some great local
Whiskies and other spirits will have some Celtic music by the Celtic gypsies. We're scenes own
Great food buffet 11 open bar with or a cash bar with
Some great Irish beers and some green Miller Lightness just a day to come down and enjoy a little the spirits of the Emerald Isle
It's from one to four. So early you can go to your local favorite watering hole come see us for a little bit and then
Go to your next place after after four o'clock. It's brown water. You know your bourbons your scatches
No, I don't drink so I don't know. Yeah, I'm a non drinker. Well, I drank plenty for you
Yeah, you could have my share. Yeah, now when I was a kid
We had a disc jockey growing up. I think it was Maria the K
Sure, and his big thing was on the radio, but you all use submarine race watchers
And his logo was he was in below the water in a window
And the submarine or submarine. I never understood what submarine or race watchers were was more of the K. Yep
and
There we go submarine races. Well, we have a we have a motto at festival park. It says come for the music stay for the submarine races
So what is that?
Well, if you're of a certain age
submarine races is what
It was a euphemism for what young folks would call going to somewhere secluded to
You know, enjoy each other's company the K mint
Subway race watch. I had no idea really just mentioned it. I didn't know that okay. Well
Actually, you know that that was a pretty prominent unhappy days the old the old TV show that was the thing
So that's that's a euphemism for that and I remember being really young and hearing that for the first time and and I asked my parents
Is do we have submarine races around here? My dad looks at my mom and elbows are and that's kind of where you were conceived kid
But excuse me a second. Yeah, well, how come I don't know about this? Yeah
I'm surprised on a man of the world like you
Man, I always thought people watching submarines under because he had a record album. I read the cake
And it showed him on the galvan cover in a window of a submarine and looking at all the submarine
I thought he was looking submarine races going, but that's what that means. That's what that means
Yes, we're going to watch submarine races. I didn't even get how it's connected
Well, you go to a place that overlooks the water
Have here and we're seen so maybe you go off to windpoint or out by shoes and park in that parking lot and watch the submarine races or
Or come down to the boat launch here at festival park and I heard of the passion pit at the drive-in
There you go. It's something like that
But that made sense to me. There's just no military connection. So what happens there at submarine races April 1st
Well, we're going to we're working on a few things yet for that, but it's going to be a day where
You know folks can come down and then maybe enjoy some of the music of the era and just you know
Relive some good times and maybe some photo ops and things like that. So
I'm embarrassed that I don't know this. Yeah, wow. I should know all this stuff. Yeah, you should
Wow, it's it's very subtle
So I just I can't believe I didn't know that yeah anyway. It's a fun thing
Too bad Murray the case not around anymore. It's sadist. I'm really with you met
April 4th
They were seen rendezvous. This also sounds kind of yeah, it's something
This is this is totally legit and friendly stuff
This we're working on this with our friends at our G babies and it is what it says
It's a Rubik's Cube competition where we have some
Some young folks that can solve these Rubik's cubes in
In record time. I've seen I've seen the guy the record holder do it in three plus seconds as kid. It's amazing
I couldn't even pick it up out of my hand in three plus seconds and hold it. Yeah, I just put it and throws it down
Yeah, I know he does it. Yeah, if you gave me one and told me I had to the end of the year to do it
I couldn't do it so make me the end of the year. I don't know
I've never been good at puzzles. You got to peel them off and put them on the right. That's the way I would do it
So wow, so that's so that's what that is, huh? That's what that is. That's April 4th at festival hall
You can try to send a new well against world record there not me
But somebody might somebody may that would be very cool. I think here. Let me take a quick look here
What is it? Well, take a break. I'm gonna look up of the record is I think it's three point something seconds
It's pretty amazing. There was one of the young men that's involved in it was in our office a couple weeks ago
And did a little demo and it's like all right
I'm impressed. It takes a lot to impress me, but he got me
Talking to Kevin McDougall from 5k events and they've got the
Event coming up. It's the bracing rendezvous and the rubik's cube competition. We just were looking at
The kid who I don't know how he does it three point oh eight seconds
The video looks like it's sped up, but it's not it's it's he just picks up the bruises
I'll take me three seconds to pick it up and look at it
3.0 a
How does he even look at it that? I don't know. You saw the video. Yeah
To prove that it throws it down 3.08 seconds. Somebody needs a girlfriend
He'll look you know fairness. He looks like he's about nine years old a year old to give him a break, right?
All right, so we're talking about the events coming to festival hall Memorial hall rotary park
It's all beginning on February 21st this calendar. So in about three weeks
Yeah, we hit it pretty hard them. We will go it'll be on a dead sprint until the end of the year
So comic and toy show. Yeah, that's that's a great event. This is our
Third year for this actually it might actually yes, it's our third year for this event
And this is a event that just keeps growing every year. It's soon. It's gonna outgrow festival hall. So it is a day of
vendors that have comic books posters toys original art
There's some the cosplay aspect of it is growing every year. So it's really a fun thing
And I think we talked about it the last time was in I was never a comic book person
But I going for the collectibles, you know things like that
So I found some some real gems at the show last year that I that I spent a little dough on so
This is an exciting an exciting event. So it's it's great for the whole family
And it's something like I said that just keeps growing and growing so think about all the toys your mother threw out. I know
Well, I've gone back and I've collected a lot of the ones
I used to have that you know my mom gave away to my cousins after I outgrew them. So here's my son dude
For one I know is our birthday of Christmas
The thing that got me really into movies
Was this little Remco driving theater. It could have been more than a foot-and-a-half long
It was the Remco driving. He found it online. Yeah
And also he also found this and then got me into radio
The Remco Caraville radio now the Remco Caraville train it was a transmitter. I'll show you a picture right there in the break
It was a it was a like a baby blue transmitter thing
And that's you were able to transmit with it now. You're supposed to transmit around the house and stuff
But I took the antenna wire and stuck it next to the phone thing in my garage the
The phone thing that connects to the telephone the landlines when I was okay
And now you can hear me for about two blocks. Oh, if the radio was next to your phone in the kitchen
Okay, because everybody had landlines in the 60s. Yeah, they used to broadcast
From my house every day. Oh fun. Is that and that's how it and it started with the Remco Caraville radio
So I have a mint condition
Remco Caraville radio sitting in my house. Those are incredible mint and the box is in a mint condition
But so he bought that he bought all this stuff for me. Mm-hmm. That's kind of neat. Yeah, we go to there's uh
Oh, we got us a metal slinky to the plastic ones. They have not we're okay the real metal one
My wife and I go to three times a year. There's a great show down in
They called the Chicago Toy Show, but it's actually in St. Charles at the King County Fairgrounds where you know
We go down and they have you know three outdoor barns and then three indoor
Rooms just filled with collectors toys from the 50s 60s 70s 80s
And we always find things when we go down there and I I think I've seen that Remco theater down there in the wild
Um, that's what I call it in the wild when you're not buying it off of eBay or anything
Somebody has it and you want it and you make an offer and uh, so it we spend the last time we were down there in October
We came we spent like six hundred dollars down there and uh, it's it's a great show
I kept I kept it in there's a room my house where I do a radio broadcast from
You know for other stations and I always have it there because it reminds me of where I started
Yeah, I got it and I'm the original one I get not this one
But the original one I got my parents got at me for Christmas back in 1963 or 62 something like that
And that's the days where I used to snoop around the house because my parents did not hide things well
I go to their closet and there it is. It's a huge box
I take it out. I start playing with it
I took it out then when I heard them coming I put it back put it in the closet
They wrapped it up and Christmas morning he said oh
So
They dusted it for DNA and fingerprints
But that's what got me started sure. It's isn't it funny how it starts in those
And here we are 54 years later. I'm still doing it. Mm-hmm with a big rump go caravall radio in the back of it
Big 3,000 what
Okay, so uh, what do we leave off here? Oh the all things kids actual all these things sound like a lot of fun like yeah
This is a great
It's April 24th this great weekend April 24th and 25th at festival hall educational programs
You know child care opportunities recreation, you know arts and crafts just great
Activities for kids and parents who are trying to find you know new ways to keep their kids occupied and
You know a lot of great sponsors for it. It's it's really a lot of fun. So last year was our first year for it
And it really did well for us. So we brought it back and really looking forward to that one too. So
I'm looking over the list here all this stuff looks like fun. All right. That's the all things kids expo. Whoa
The Kenosha prom that's on May huh? That's in May. That is the that's
Indian trail school in Kenosha will have their prom at
Festival hall on May 2nd and we had them in
2024 and you know a great event 750, you know kids and adults and shaperones and
You know a dance a nice plated dinner and that that was a fantastic thing for us. Why can I watch it on TV when they do the prom on TV?
and it's it's
It's so wonderful to watch these kids all cleaned up
Yeah
That's the recene prom for this Kenosha prom. Yeah, but but still
You know just a great positive thing for kids and you know creating memories and and all that good stuff when you hear my prom story. Sure
This girl was in my home room when he was Karen Smith
Not only was she the sweetest nicest person. She was also beautiful. Yeah, but she was very nice
She's a rare combination and she was nice to me which nobody was nice to me in high school
I was kind of like get away, you know don't go breathe on me, but she was nice to me
And the prom was coming up and all the guys hanging around her and I said well
I don't want to be number 57 on the list of people asking her
I said there's no chance I can I just don't say yes to me. Uh-huh
So I took another girl to the prom. I had a good you know the nice girl. I took
I go I see her at the prom. She's with her cousin because nobody asked her to the prom.
Womp Womp
What about those other guy but everybody thought like I thought there and nobody got no shot
Nobody wants to be turned down
And she said yeah, my cousin said nobody asked me. Uh-huh. So cut to 20 years later. I'm up my 20th anniversary my
23 union and there she is sitting to looking better than ever. Uh-huh. All alone. Yeah
And you know how they cut the little pictures out of your yearbook and all right
I go up to her and I say hi Karen. She squins looks at my hi Donald
That was it. I waited 20 years for that. That felt good though. Yeah
I just asked don't you know teenagers are stupid
They're self-conscious. They're not confident
And I wish I could go back now knowing what I know now. Yeah, I would ask her. Yep. Do you have any prom stories?
You know my prom story was I was a senior and I had a girlfriend around my senior year
And we split up at the end of January that year in promise in May. So I was kind of resigned to not going
But I had this really
Smoke and hot girl that was in my biology class. We had gotten to be good friends and
She had a boyfriend who was older than her and out of out of high school
He was actually the manager of the dominoes pizza across the street from our musical
Texas. I can't cut this dude out. He's the manager of the dominoes
Um
But uh, so she asked and he wouldn't take her
So she asked me if I would go and so
We went had an amazing time and a couple weeks later
Me and some buddies went into that dominoes to pick up a pizza and this guy decides he wants to come across the counter at me
Oh really? Yeah, it didn't go well for him Texas. Oh, dude. No, boy. It's tough being loving him Texas, huh?
I'll tell you what we don't mess around don't mess with Texas
You know why senior prom was the 1964-65 world's fair. Oh, the world's fair was over
Okay, but a lot of the buildings were still there. So we went the big tea ever see that big tea. Yeah
That's where we had our senior promise the golden rondale still there when no, no, no
It was shipped here by that time. Yeah, it was shipped here
It was about six should maybe six years after the world's fair closed
But some of the building and this building is still there
And there's in Queens. We had it in New York City and it was a good problem. Yeah, I love that
ours was good
We did nothing at the high school ours was at a hotel in Dallas, which was about 25 miles away from our high school
Yeah, big city events. Okay. We have a huge event coming up
Let's get this last one and before the break them will come back and talk more. Yeah, this is the the farmers market
The farmers market is going to be an amazing thing. We're really excited about it
It opens May 9th and we'll run for 24 consecutive weeks
Every Saturday from 9 to 1
It is going to be a true farmers market everything has to be you know grown or or homemade no pre-packaged goods
No crafts nothing like that
So it is a true farmers market. We've got about 40 vendors already looking for about 60
It's going we're going to have a lot of different you know demos sampling live music
What else we'll be taking all the food share programs so snap ebt wick working with some senior discount programs and
You know something I think we talked about last time too is you know the the areas of downtown. We're seeing there
They refer to it as a as a food desert a lot of food insecurity. So
No real grocery stores in downtown. We're seeing to get fresh fruit and produce and things like that
So that's something that we're hoping to satisfy you know those needs and
So we were really excited about it. We're working with a great partner Don who's in here a few months ago
Yeah, she left you the mug I don't have one yet
Well, uh
Well, because I've got a magnet on my car though. You probably couldn't take it to the front either
Yeah, I'd be I'd be shooting above my weight if I took Don at the prom
But
So yeah, we're really excited about it and
You know if anybody wants to get an idea as to what the
The vendors are going to be like dawn runs the
Oak Creek winter market up at the Oak Creek Community Center off a howl avenue
So go up there and check that out and a lot of those vendors are coming to our
Market starting in May so that's going to be an amazing thing and I think
The you know everybody here in Racine is going to love it and it's just going to be
Incredible that's every Saturday beginning May 9 through through October 24. Yeah, so right through the fall 24 weeks
Love it. Yeah, it's gonna. All right
And it's free and lots of parking so Kevin McDougal from five K events joining us this morning
We have the brand new 2026 calendar. This is huge by the way
This is about a foot a foot long a little over like a 11 ½ by 17. Yeah
Plastic is not cheap paper
And I go on and I got my own copy here
And we left off at the farmers market now. This is the Racine farmers market that's going to be every Saturday beginning
Mesa and now beginning May 9th and running right through October 24th will be the last day
Rainer shine and that's a great thing at festival park with a lot of the facilities that we have with the
A lot of the vendors will be you know undercover under the colonate or under the tent
And so yeah, definitely rain or shine. That's different from a lot of the the area markets here where
If you get some rain, you're going to have a wash out
But we certainly don't have that that issue here at festival park
The passions project. What is that? Yeah, the passions project. That's you know kind of a
In arts oriented type of a van. That's why I said it like that. Yeah, the passions project their passion is art
So
Yeah, it's a you know big gallery event reception artist student panel
So you know professional artist student artists to get their
Their creativity seen seen and noticed by people and so that that's going to be at memorial hall
And we've done that for a few years. That's that's kind of a thing that has a has a good tradition here in Racine
You know what happened almost a hundred years ago at memorial hall. What's that?
It was December 6th 100 years ago
Okay WRJ ends first broadcast
Okay, flip the switch on this December 6th is our first broadcast was from memorial hall. Okay, a hundred years
1925 you said or time 26 1926 26 okay, we'll have to left to do something
We're having a big exhibit at
The Heritage Museum. They got a special grant for it and we're gonna have a 100th year anniversary exhibit
I love that stuff. So I will definitely come out and check that out
I love that that type of history that you know pop culture type of thing
And I and I think we've talked about this before too. I like small town radio
You know, um, just the end a lot of the stations that are in in your group
I will sometimes go on your website and poke around and listen give a listen to a few of them like you know up in up in door county or you know
We got them everywhere out in Washera or
Or anyone signals all around this thing. Yeah, it's pretty amazing now. Here's my favorite event of the year
It's coming up. I look forward to this every year may 16th pending
Yeah, that's
We are holding that for a very special event that we're hoping to to hear about
So depending event. Yeah, and if it happens to work out like we hope it'll be it'll be a big deal
And you have a stick to put on it. Yeah, well, we we reprint these for second quarter. So all right
So come April you'll have a fresh one the sneaker ball with a June 6th. Yes, sneaker ball
That is an event that is associated with the Juneteenth celebration here in town and it is a it's
It's a formal dinner dance celebration where you know the folks that that come where they're where they're finest and their sneakers
Well, that's so that's why it's called the sneaker ball
So that is one of our biggest events of the year at festival hall or actually it's going to be a memorial hall this year
Because it has grown so
But yeah, we're that's always a big one for us and it really
It's a great representation of the community and you know the people that contribute to you know some of the great things that happen around
Juneteenth, so
That's going to be another great event. So then it's time to rock and roll Harmerfest
Yeah, Harmerfest back in its re reincarnated state for a second year June 12th and 13th
I've got a great lineup of bands already
Belican Almighty vinyl
They got a great following they do they do and drew very well for us last year
They were the headliner on Saturday night and
Fortunately, we had it we had amazing weather on Saturday night Friday night last year was a little cool
Didn't rain, but you know as it will be sometimes in June on the lake a little chilly
but
Saturday night was amazing not only with you know the Belican show, but we had
You know great acts on the on the charcoal grill stage on the west side of the park as well
So really a great night of a lot of different types of music
So you know the lineup that the Harmerfest guides have put together. It's really kind of a who's who of some of the top
Regional local regional and local acts. So well, here's the event. I'm always involved in every year
I get involved by watching the lighthouse run the lighthouse run by watching it
Yeah, that is that that I think it's the 49th year of the lighthouse run and we're coming up on the 50th year very soon
So 47th annual if I could read my own poster
Yeah, the 47th annual lighthouse run
In conjunction with the the YMCA so you know, it is say
It's a competitive race. I mean, there is competitive divisions with cash prizes
But it's also you know fun a fun run to so you know, there's the there's the 5k the the the walk you can walk it
You can run it whatever you want to do so it is a
Racine tradition and
Goes off from Rotary Park and it is quite the deal. We I think last year we had around 1800 runners last year
So pride past coming up the same day June 20th. Yeah, that's something that that we're still working on
So we don't have all the details just yet, but that is something you know in conjunction with with pride month in June
And it's been a while since there's been a pride event at festival park so
We had some meetings on that just the week before last and getting some of the details together for that and gonna
You know get that together for those folks
Saints on the lake. I didn't know what that is
Yes, it's on the lake that is actually that's a new event and that is something it is a
Collaboration amongst what they call the community of eight the eight Catholic churches here in Racine
So what they have done is
combined all their individual
Church festivals into one big event and are taking each of their own
Unique features of their festivals and bringing them to festival park June 26th through the 28th
So and on the 4th of July who came up with this idea uncle Sam jam that was my brain child
So you know one of the the things that you know the mayor
Wanted to do is have we're seeing create a lot of unique
Fourth of July events or events that are leading up to the 4th of July for the 250th anniversary of the United States
And so this is something that we are going to do at festival park. We're going to have live music
It'll be in conjunction with the farmers market because it is on a Saturday
And then we'll we'll be inviting families to come down and have their their family picnics at the park
So we'll have more information on that coming up
You know get the grills out at the family together and then invite folks to stick around and watch the 4th Fest fireworks from festival park
So
That is something that yeah, we're very excited about as as a new event
Hopefully it'll create a new tradition here in Racine fish fest fish fest salmon arama back for its third year at festival park and
After having been gone for way too long
So that's July 10th through the 19th the biggest fishing tournament tournament on the Great Lakes
So live music food trucks and in conjunction with seeing all the huge fish that these guys haul out of Lake Michigan
And one thing I found out in recent years it's not just the waters off
Racine I mean you can enter fish from you know down near the state line all the way up into door county and all points in between
So fish that you've caught there are you know entry stations and weigh stations that can be
That are networked to the main weigh-in station in Racine
So you know if you catch the largest largest fish and it happens to be off Shaboygan
And that's the biggest fish you win because you caught it there doesn't have to be caught off off the shore and Racine
So but there there are categories for you know fishing off the shore fishing in a kayak fishing from the beach
You know all those things so it's not just off boats or charters
I caught one fish in my entire life on this planet. I was invited out. It was like
DJ day or whatever and they invited me out just before Sam Sam and I started on a boat
And they you know gave me the line they hooked it up for me and everything
I still think there was a guy alongside the boat
Hooking the fish on to my side talk about it. It's still had the pick and save
I think it was a ringer, but I caught it and then I we just put it back in
But as you win fish ever caught my life. Oh really? Okay. Yeah, I used to be big in the fishing when I was a lot younger
But yeah, I haven't been fishing in a long time
Okay quick break here and then we're going to talk about the rest of the events for the year
I'm just so excited because it you know in the cold of winter. Yeah, let's still look forward to it
It's so depressing and now look at this we're talking about the summer events come out about love it
We have Kevin McDougal's with me from 5k events and we're talking about all the events for 20 26
Including that one pending event
Yeah, the one pending event
We are excited about that one
So if we get that filled you will be
Excited to hear about it. It's August 1th, which is where she remembers fast our third annual
This is actually my favorite event of the year that that we do it's a collaboration amongst all the
Re yacht clubs and businesses along the river and it's a day of river oriented fun
So we start we kick off the day with the river 5k
At festival park and then we bring it back to our place
For music and fireworks in the evening, but in between you know, there's the cardboard yacht races down at
Harbor Light yacht club. There's the duck races at 5th Street yacht club
There's all kinds of live music happening like at the bridge tender and
Chartroom and in all the
All the other partners. So it is just a fun day of everything oriented on the river and the last two years
We've just had amazing weather
So it really is a lot of fun and like I said, it is my personal favorite event that that we do all year long
Then the weekend of August 7th and 8th. It's yes
That email. Yes, yesterday Latino back for its second year
We had a we had a great year this past year
And it's a celebration of all the Latin cultures in recene. So you know music food, you know all the
Other traditions that that come along with it. We had some traditional dance
A lot of the different types of
Latin music, you know, Tahano and all different all of those different types of music
So it's really a great showing of the Latin community here in recene
Then you have the TLW bars are which is I guess a playoff bizarre. Yes
Yeah, not everybody gets that so we we tried beers our last year, but that didn't work so good
But yeah, the tavern league of Wisconsin bars are that's really just the celebration of the
The bar culture here in recene so a lot of the participating bars and taverns
I'll get together at festival park and they you know sample some of their best cocktails and then there's live music
And it's just a day of you know
You know hanging out with your favorite bar owners and some of the other patrons and
Listening to some great music and sampling some great cocktails September 4th. It's bippity bobbity bacon
Yeah, bacon the bacon five kegs run that's something that this will be our 17th year of that. That's a 5k walk and run
With bacon we get great bacon and sausage from Jones dairy farm out in Fort Atkinson and
After you complete your walk or run. It's just kind of a bacon and sausage sausage feast afterwards and then we
You know add beer on to that and you can't go wrong bacon and beer and running
Bippity bobbity bacon is a
Jim Gaffigan bit. Okay, where he says
He says you don't like salads sprinkle some fairy dust on it bippity bobbity bacon
And now you have a dinner yes
I have bacon bits at home. You sprinkle on anything bippity bobbity bacon. Now you have a real
Hopefully they're the real bacon bits. Not the bacon. No, no, this is the real stuff. This isn't bacon. It's not
All right, we got bark in the park and dog dog
Yeah, barking the park that is is for all the dog people, but
You know, there's a lot of you know pet oriented vendors and
You know clinics and things like that. There was a great
obstacle course that was set up out in the out in the lawn there at festival park. So
Just a whole day of people coming out and showing their dogs, you know, we brought our dog down and
It's a lot of fun just seeing all the different people's dogs and there's a lot of great giveaways
For for the pet owners when they come down. We had a couple pallets of Amazon pet food that that we gave away
Just for people to come down and take away. We get these amazing
Shipments from Amazon of overstocks and you were talking about little debbies before there a couple
Last year one of our shipments we got was like five pallets of just little debbies cakes. Oh
That's like gave up the list. Oh zebra cakes and
The oatmeal cream pies
And we just we just put them out in the fire and put it on Facebook come get them
Doing okay, stand down. It's coming up October 3rd. Yeah, stand down. That is a great event
It is a something that benefits, you know, all the the veterans here and we're seeing it's veterans oriented
Services and it helps you know some of the veterans there's some that maybe maybe homeless may have issues with employment
Or you know anything other you know helping the the
Veterans get their benefits arranged
So we have a lot of different vendors that provide those types of services along with a lot of
giveaways that we get from like the Department of Defense has
You know overstocks of boots and coats and and and coats and and jackets and gloves and and these folks are allowed to come down
And just load up on all those things and I got a great pair of boots last year from
Um, but it really is an amazing event that serves a great purpose
So we work with other scene county veterans organization help put that together and in their great partners
With us at at festival park. We do a lot of things with them as well as the the veterans day celebration
That'll come up in November, let's see there
We work with them on both those events and so we're looking forward to another
Great showing for both those events stand down and the veterans day celebration
budget is cop show and
The cop pulled this guy over but he came a warning to let him go and he said
Semper five he said thanks for your service. He was had you know
It's tattooed right on your arm. Yeah, he said oh, thank you a lot of them wear proudly
I've got a brother-in-law. That's a colonel in the Marine Corps and just a just a great guy
Just a you know real
Tremendous tremendous person and I I tease my father-in-law
I said that you know you've got two sending laws ones that colonel the Marine Corps and then this guy
Yeah, I feel my dad was a tail gunner for four years in the Navy tail gunner
And for people that know the Navy did fly planes. Oh, yeah, people are really not everybody's gonna ship
So he's a Navy tail gunner for four years over then the Pacific during World War II and his arm had a tattoo of a skeleton with a Navy helmet on
I said, that's the best one you could have filed
He said I was stupid. I have a 17 years old. Yeah, I was in the Navy with my tattoo artistry wasn't what it is now
He said I was a stupid kid. Where do you want me to put them? I know he could bring custom art to him now
Women's names and he dated I said what were you thinking?
Do you don't have them crossed out when they were done? No way
My married to my mother for 67 years. He had all these women tattooed every time she let's go
And I try to look at their names on the arm and so that was glad us think back now. It's Hazel and Sharon. Oh, geez
All right, then we're up to the festival of trees back again festival trees back again for
A second year of its revival. We had a great year this year
You know being that it was the first time back if festival halftor 20 years had a lot of great
You know partners and vendors and tree sponsors and things of that nature raised a lot of money for the charities that the
Sponsors chose to work with and was just a really gratifying event and
We're looking forward to an even bigger year this year in 2026. You know as you go through these events
Especially if they're newly created or if they're
being revived after after a hiatus
You know you learn some things along the way and we've certainly done that with a lot of these that will
You know incorporate into the the following year and so we learned some things along the way with the festival trees
That'll make it even bigger and better like not for me electrical wires through water. That's those things
Seems like that
Always happy about that then the thanksgiving received November 26. Yeah, that is the the big thanksgiving feed
That we do at festival hall and you know that's another event that
I'm always amazed at the response that it gets. I mean it gets huge media coverage
And it is open to the public a lot of folks even even I thought it was when I first started working for the
For 5k events. I thought it was really kind of restricted to people in need people that you know had a need to
You know have have somewhere to go for Thanksgiving because they were you know a disadvantage or whatever
But no, it's not it's for anybody that wants to come down and have some fellowship on Thanksgiving day
Maybe your families out of town maybe you you're new to town. You don't have anywhere else to go
It's a great place to come down and just you know get together with folks and you know share a meal and go away nice and full
Well, Danny was involved Danny meets last year. Yeah, it's he involved this year. Uh his company still as Danny has retired
But his his company. I know his partner retired
Both him and Ray all of they both him and yeah, yeah, so Danny's catering is still on us
Yeah, okay, that's good. They do a fantastic job. They do a lot of our events
Aside from this one so we work with them quite a bit. We had him in last year here. Did you okay? Yeah, yeah, when they were doing that
Yeah, great. You didn't bring any food in but
I don't know making it. I thought he was going to come in here. We're like a little buffet food
Danny's meats and nothing bucks. Yes, it was him. Which was good because we got all their stuff is great
Like I said, they're they're a great partner of ours. They're one of our recommended vendors when people need a caterer
Yeah, we go there all the time. Yeah, that's that's good stuff. Yeah
Okay, so that's the entire
Where can people see this? Yeah, if you go to festivalpark.com and you can you will see the roster if you hit the
upcoming events
Dropdown you will see all the events scroll through it to see the one you're most interested in the ones that are ticketed
You know, we'll have the ticket platform will be active and you can buy tickets there or just find find out all the
All the information or you can give us a call at festival park and we will
Give you all the information you need if you want to call the hall the main number is 262
6369 to 29 and we can not only you know give the information on the events but also if you want to
Rent one of our venues for you're upcoming, you know corporate event you're you're wetting your quenciniera
You know anything of that nature
We can have a what we call a discovery day arranged for you where you come and see the see the rooms and make sure it fits
Your needs and we'll get y'all sorted out
The comic comic and toy show coming up. I just looked up
The Superman number one. I used to call it action comics. Superman number one was just sold
Shattering the record for any comic book. Yeah, 9.12 million dollars. Wow. That's amazing
I had comic books growing up and my mother just threw everything out. Sure. She's got my Beatles ticket stubs
That would do when she moved in the year 2000. She moved to Florida and she threw I say why do you throw my Beatles ticket stubs
She goes if it was that important you would have taken it with you. Yeah, she's kind of right
And then she threw up my high school diploma. Oh, she said it couldn't meant that much to you get left it here
I said what else did you throw out my brother who was living near her? He said you better get over here the dumpster
She's she's just throwing at it. He got all his medical books out of there. Okay, I see a lot of your stuff in there
I can get it. I can't get everything
My mother threw my Beatles ticket stubs and to the day she left us. I still remind her. She's are you never gonna forget that? No
Let me go my high school diploma my Beatles ticket sound important now. I have no proof that I graduated high school
Kevin McDougal. Thanks to come by. It's good to see you down as always
Every month Kevin comes in talks about the latest events, but this was the
2026 calendar. I won't take get it all in here
5k events running all the events in recene at festival hall
Memorial Hall and rotary park which used to be called festival park out. I still call it festival
But the rotary footed the bill for the for the big stage so they get the naming rights. Yeah
