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Editorial: ‘Days finds its groove
Op-Ed · August 06, 2015
Hoover’s Hometown Days found a groove that works.
It’s not easy putting together an annual festival, because of the number of organization meetings, trying to find volunteers, placing orders, delegating jobs, getting on schedules, asking for donations, planning, gathering needed permissions, permits and supplies, and more.
Yet before any of that takes place, the City of West Branch, Main Street West Branch and National Park Service start by reviewing each festival’s strengths and weaknesses as well as all feedback. It’s good feedback that they want, because that helps guide them for the next event.
Every year when our reporters ask about Hoover’s Hometown Days, organizers talk about feedback -- what worked, what didn’t, what needs tweaking, etc. Each year, some events or music or activities get dropped and replaced with something new. And each year, some events grow more popular and return. Sometimes, an activity draws bigger crowds if it only appears every few years.
We’re oversimplifying here, but it’s this mix of old and new, driven by your feedback, that works so well for Hoover’s Hometown Days.
Some of the new activities this year that really caught our eye include Wildwood’s mechanical Spanky the Bull and the Youth Hooverball Exhibition Tournament. We’re interested to hear the Sidewinders and Legacy Girls. We hope to see families enjoy the children’s movie, Disney’s Yellowstone Cubs in the Village Green.
And we’re glad to know so many successful and unique things return, like the Lions’ Pedal Tractor Pull, the Fire in the Hole bags tournament, the 5K, Hooverball, the parade, waterball fights, gobs of music, fireworks and more.
You just won’t find many small towns that can bring in this many activites in one weekend, with most at no cost to the visitors, and so much to do it is quite possibly impossible for one family to go everywhere and do everything.
Look through the schedule and we think you will get excited about all your family can do in these two jam-packed days, no matter what their ages.
The formula for trying new things, seeing what works, and trying again is what keeps Hoover’s Hometown Days constantly fresh and going strong. We can’t wait for this weekend!
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