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RIVERVIEW’S SUMMERFEST TO KICK OFF CRUISE EVENTS
RIVERVIEW — Mayor Tim Durand officially extends an invitation to the
entire Downriver community to attend Summerfest this year.
“We
invite everybody to come down and experience the joy of Riverview at
this year’s event,” Durand said.
“It’ll give everyone a chance to rest their cars before overheating ’em
on Saturday.”
Three days into summer, the city’s
Summerfest will usher in the new season with music, games, food,
fireworks and a showing of 300 classic automobiles before Saturday’s
Cruisin’ Downriver event along Fort Street.
Festivities will begin in the city at 4 p.m. Friday when the Fire
Department, in Young Patriots Park, will open its doors to the public.
The open house will feature a
smoke house, car burns, a free child identification program provided by
the Masons, health screening and prizes.
There also will be an
assortment of clowns and even a dunk tank, complete with a dunkable
chuckle-head, for comedy relief.
At 4
p.m., the park’s food will hit the fire and let the games begin.
This
year, a number of attractions, including a Finding Nemo Kiddie Crawl, a
giant slide, an obstacle course, a moonwalk, a track train and a
climbing wall, will be in operation.
Carnival food vendors will be on hand to serve up butterfly chips,
gyros, hot dogs, cotton candy and various sweets and other guilty
pleasures.
The
classic car show and civic booths will open at 6 p.m.
Last
year, with the help of the Wanderers Car Club, Summerfest attracted
about 300 classic cars. The same number is expected this year as well.
No
awards are given, but the show is open to anyone with a classic set of
wheels and an urge for some bragging rights.
Craft and civic booths this year
include various church and civic organizations, a children’s book
signing and the Riverview Lions & Leos will have glo-products as the
authorized seller.
Between 6:30 and 10
p.m, local bands The Cadets and Passage will play oldies and classic
rock hits on a stage set up at the north end of the park.
Then, at 10 p.m. the activities on the ground will give way to the
pyrotechnical display in the sky that will last about 20 minutes.
It’s
one of Downriver’s earliest civic fireworks displays, with most others
taking place later in the month or early in July.
“This is one of the first opportunities for people Downriver to catch a
fireworks show,” Durand said. “It’s quite a scene.”
Additional police and fire personnel will be on hand to ensure a safe
festival environment.
Coolers can be brought into the park, but alcoholic beverages are
prohibited.
The
fireworks display also can be viewed from the Blue 9 course of the
Riverview Highlands golf course.
At 9
a.m. Saturday, the Parks and Recreation Department has scheduled a
fishing derby for all children 16 and younger at Reflection Pond in
Young Patriots Park.
The
Recreation Department will be selling Cruisin’ Downriver T-shirts and
old program shirts at Summerfest and all day at Cruisin’ Downriver,
which also is Saturday. Also, from 1 to 3 p.m. that day, Riverview will
have an appearance from Willie T. Clown, who will make balloon animals
for children.
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