Life
The Miss Memphis float rolls along the parade route last summer. (File Photo)
Members of the Memphis City Council recently approved the schedule for Memphis Festival Days, which is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and takes place the first weekend in August.
The events listed include the parade on Friday, Aug. 2, the fireworks on Saturday, Aug. 3 and the 5K Duck Dash and the rubber duck races on Sunday, Aug. 4.
Ronda Bradke and her sister, Rodona Soles, are co-coordinators of the parade and the fireworks during the festival. Bradke said the festival committee has been meeting monthly to plan the summer event. Committee members head up different activities planned for the weekend and then recruit local volunteers to lend a hand.
In the past, the summer festival was sponsored by the local Lions Club and fire department and included a tractor pull and street carnival. When that tradition faded out the Memphis Chamber of Commerce restarted the festival calling it Duck Days and, although it’s on a smaller scale, organizers hope to add new events as they go along.
Hosting a picnic on Sunday before the rubber ducky race, perhaps with a local group grilling hot dogs and handing out potato chips, is one idea Bradke hopes to launch.
“We really want to expand on the Sunday afternoon events and have an old-fashioned family picnic,” she said.
Organizers are also planning a return of the historic tour that was introduced last summer with some new highlights this time out.
Other popular events such as the Blues Festival at the Lions Field and the Rocking on the River concert featuring BJ Perry and The Product will all return to the festival schedule as will the very popular Duck Race along the Belle River that has patrons buying a ticket and hoping their designated duck is the first to cross the finish line. Miss Memphis dumps all the ducks into the water and race organizers scoop up the first three that cross the finish line. A barrier is put in the water so ducks don’t go too far down stream. There’s a monetary prize for those top trio of finishers.
Bradke said they also look forward to hosting Memphis Days at the same time that Holy Family Parish holds their summer festival. The dual events worked out great last year bringing lots of people to town.
Finding a new coordinator for the 5K Duck Dash, founded in 2010 by Tony Chevalier, of Riley Township, is a priority right now for Bradke. The race is sponsored by the Memphis Chamber of Commerce so all proceeds go back to the chamber, an amount that has reached $1,000 in the past. Continued…
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Members of the Memphis City Council recently approved the schedule for Memphis Festival Days, which is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and takes place the first weekend in August.
The events listed include the parade on Friday, Aug. 2, the fireworks on Saturday, Aug. 3 and the 5K Duck Dash and the rubber duck races on Sunday, Aug. 4.
Ronda Bradke and her sister, Rodona Soles, are co-coordinators of the parade and the fireworks during the festival. Bradke said the festival committee has been meeting monthly to plan the summer event. Committee members head up different activities planned for the weekend and then recruit local volunteers to lend a hand.
In the past, the summer festival was sponsored by the local Lions Club and fire department and included a tractor pull and street carnival. When that tradition faded out the Memphis Chamber of Commerce restarted the festival calling it Duck Days and, although it’s on a smaller scale, organizers hope to add new events as they go along.
Hosting a picnic on Sunday before the rubber ducky race, perhaps with a local group grilling hot dogs and handing out potato chips, is one idea Bradke hopes to launch.
“We really want to expand on the Sunday afternoon events and have an old-fashioned family picnic,” she said.
Organizers are also planning a return of the historic tour that was introduced last summer with some new highlights this time out.
Other popular events such as the Blues Festival at the Lions Field and the Rocking on the River concert featuring BJ Perry and The Product will all return to the festival schedule as will the very popular Duck Race along the Belle River that has patrons buying a ticket and hoping their designated duck is the first to cross the finish line. Miss Memphis dumps all the ducks into the water and race organizers scoop up the first three that cross the finish line. A barrier is put in the water so ducks don’t go too far down stream. There’s a monetary prize for those top trio of finishers.
Bradke said they also look forward to hosting Memphis Days at the same time that Holy Family Parish holds their summer festival. The dual events worked out great last year bringing lots of people to town.
Finding a new coordinator for the 5K Duck Dash, founded in 2010 by Tony Chevalier, of Riley Township, is a priority right now for Bradke. The race is sponsored by the Memphis Chamber of Commerce so all proceeds go back to the chamber, an amount that has reached $1,000 in the past.
An online registration system for the race and a fun walk has welcomed over 100 participants in the past ranging in age from 7 to 83. Chevalier’s daughter, Jackie Springer, a graduate of Armada High School class of 2005, helped her father organize the race finding sponsors and handling the registration information online and Bradke hopes she may continue her part for this summer’s event.
To volunteer to help out at Memphis Days or for more information about the growing schedule call (810) 531-7376.
Barb Pert Templeton is a freelance reporter. She can be contacted at barbperttempleton.reporter@yahoo.com
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