Record turnout reported for successful 69th Water Festival

By Robert Tomlinson
News Director

THREE RIVERS — The term “Chamber of Commerce weather” refers to weather conditions so ideal, comfortable and inviting that the local Chamber of Commerce would find perfect to attract visitors to an area.
That is exactly what the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce got last weekend weather-wise with the 69th Water Festival: sunny temperatures in the 70s, with a decent breeze, and nary a drop of rain in sight.
President and CEO Christy Trammell said that was a catalyst in what she described as record turnout to several events throughout the festival, one that she said was “definitely a success.”
“The weather was spectacular, which brought out record-breaking crowds for most of our events,” Trammell said. “It shows the community support. It shows community pride in being able to support our town. And with all we’ve been through this year, I thought that that was very important that we had that ability to come together and support and show that Three Rivers is still here and we’re doing well.”
Trammell said there were record numbers of participants in the Water Festival parade Thursday to start the festival, with 1,345 people walking or taking part in the parade. In addition, the parade route was full of spectators all the way through, and while she didn’t have exact numbers, Trammell said parade participants told her they believed turnout was very high on that front as well.
The parade had a very patriotic touch to it, given the theme of the weekend being the 250th birthday of the United States. Many floats and displays took advantage of the theme, incorporating red, white, and blue and other patriotic imagery.
The continuing record turnout extended to events being held on Friday, including the Cornhole Tournament, which also had a record number of participants, the Soap Box Derby, which saw a record 40 kids participate, and the day-long youth-oriented “Rock @ The River,” put on and sponsored by local evangelical churches in the county, led by Temple Baptist Church.
Trammell said Rock @ The River, which featured a number of athletic activities, games, and live music, was a hit on Friday, especially the evening concerts from local Christian artists David Cripps Band and Reyna Fielis.
“When I went through that night, it was great to see the stands were packed with people watching the concerts that they had set up that evening. They had steady traffic throughout the day with a variety of different activities that they offered,” Trammell said. “We’ve looked for something that has youth in mind, and when this organization stepped up and wanted to provide that opportunity, we partnered with them, and they really did a great job.”
On Saturday, the last and biggest day on the calendar, the record-breaking turnout continued. Organizers of the Hope United Superhero 5K and Fun Run said they had a record number of participants in this year’s run, while at the annual classic car, truck and motorcycle show, Trammell said all 220 slots were filled in an hour and 44 minutes.
Large crowds were also around for the Kalamazoo Concert Band performance Saturday afternoon and the headlining band Neon Crows Saturday night, which led into the fireworks finale. Trammell said the headliner was well-received by those in attendance.
“That was the first time that they’d ever been in Three Rivers, and they really engaged the audience, and were a great lineup before the fireworks,” Trammell said. “The fireworks were also a success, and I have never seen that many people in that area ever, and this was my 18th year.”
Other notable events that went on during the festival weekend included the Kids Zone, which was packed Saturday morning into the early afternoon, featuring magician Joel Tacey, the Potawatomi Zoo, and other fun activities for kids. Following the Kids Zone was a Foam Party Kids Zone, featuring an area filled with non-toxic, biodegradable foam being shot out of a party cannon that kids could run, jump, dance and play in.
“The kids really enjoyed them,” Trammell said on the Kids Zone activities.
The Elks Club Bike Rodeo also had good turnout at this year’s festival, with over 70 bikes being donated to raffle off to kids. The Turtle Derby at the Three Rivers Lions Club was successful with many kids participating, and the firefighter’s pancake breakfast had good turnout as well Saturday morning.
As far as safety and security, Three Rivers Police Department Chief Scott Boling said the event went “very well” in terms of public safety. He noted there were two fights involving juveniles, with those cases being submitted for review, and two citations were issued for disorderly conduct. However, he said there were plenty of positives overall.
“The biggest takeaway from the weekend was the positive interaction our officers had with the residents and visitors attending the festival. Our officers spent a lot of time engaging with people, answering questions, and just being present throughout the event,” Boling said. “It was great to see so many families out enjoying themselves, and we appreciated the cooperation from those attending.”
Trammell also noted ambulances that were dispatched following the fireworks display Saturday night. She said she talked to Deputy Chief Sam Smallcombe, who she said told her they were dispatched for incidents outside of town, unrelated to the festival.
Overall, Trammell said this year’s Water Festival ran smoothly, and thanked those that came out to attend, those who volunteered, and those that sponsored the event.
“It was definitely a success with great big numbers, and everybody pitching together to pull it off,” Trammell said. “It is very expensive to pull off a festival, and also a lot of volunteers are needed to pull off a festival. So, we’re always grateful for all the sponsors that come through, and also for all the volunteers that step up and help out with, not just the chamber side of events, but if you look at all the other activities that are occurring, there’s volunteers everywhere, and it’s so great to see people just really investing in supporting the community.”
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.