Parks and Recreation Department anticipate fun for all ages at Festival in the Park

This free annual event is returning this year after an absence in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s going to be sporting a little twist.

The festival, formerly known and designed as the Children’s Festival in the Park, will be enhanced to offer action and entertainment for children, teens and adults of all ages.

ERPD Director Billy Powell and Recreation Program Coordinator Mariah Montgomery said they anticipate everyone will have an opportunity to expend some of the energy pent up after the past year when safety precautions led to less travel and fewer public events.

“Planning this day has been so exciting for us because we believe people are ready to get outdoors, spread their wings a little bit and have fun with family and friends,” Montgomery said, enthusiastically reviewing the finds that activity-seekers can explore starting at 3 p.m.

This year, the festival will have many exciting attractions including live music, food trucks, carnival games, pony rides, inflatable games, train rides, crafts and more!

“Don’t forget your lawn chairs!” Montgomery advised. “Because you’ll want to relax by the lake and listen to the music of the local band Montage.

“And if that isn’t enough, the night will conclude with a fireworks show!”

The fireworks have been a tradition for a number of years at the annual festival, where families can spread blankets or settle into lawn chairs and enjoy the colorful, thrilling display in the sky, shortly after dusk.

All special attractions are free! Food will be available for purchase from various food trucks as well as the Enterprise Rotary Club concessions tent.

In the past, under its former name, the Festival has enjoyed great success and has won numerous state and national awards. Powell and Montgomery hope this year’s event will be just as successful even though the City of Enterprise will be taking COVID-19 safety precautions, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, and are encouraging everyone attending to use safety measures as well.

“We want this to be a great experience for everyone,” Powell said. “But we also want everyone to be safe in the process.”

Attractions will be spaced apart to avoid crowding and to encourage safe social distancing opportunities. Sanitizing stations will be readily available throughout the event grounds.