I was minding my own business, thinking about Frisco Festival coverage when I was confronted by an undeniable truth -- it's the 30th anniversary of Rogers' main event.
Frisco Festival has continued as other area festivals withered and died. I think that's because there has always been a commitment by Main Street Rogers and the city to put on the best event they can -- and keep things affordable, even free. And, although the faces change, there has almost always been a solid core of volunteers who work themselves into exhaustion over a couple of days to make sure attendees have fun.
Oh, there are complaints, of course. Some of the merchants gripe -- even close their doors -- because their "customers" can't get to their stores during the festival.
I have always said it would seem if there were 20,000 people downtown -- and that's often the estimate -- you could surely round up a few new customers if you made any effort at all.
Yes, there are inconveniences if you live and work downtown. Streets are closeds. Parking is a pain. I really felt trapped a couple of years ago when I was trying to leave the office and people had gathered for the kick-off event, the street dance and the amusement rides. Luckily, my Hyundai has high enough clearance I was able to jump a curb and wind my way home.
I live downtown, but atmospheric conditions have to be just right for me to hear any of the music from Frisco Stage. Believe me when I say, the train and Tom Jenkins' firefighters make way more noise -- and at all hours.
Speaking of the train, I was thinking back to some of the fun times I had as a festival volunteer-- really, they were mostly fun. Hot, sweaty, back-breaking, knee-aching fun, but fun.
There were a few years the annual sponsor party was held aboard the Arkansas & Missouri. One particular year stands out because we boarded in Rogers and stopped in Springdale -- and had a picnic outside the A&M office.
OK, the ambience wasn't much, but the company was fun, the food -- and adult libations -- good. There was music and visiting. Then we got back on the train -- where there might have been some more adult libations, music and visiting. -- and returned to Rogers.
I volunteered in a number of roles. I was a chili judge one year. About all I remember is there was some of the worst "white" chili I have ever tasted. Remember, taste is on the tongue of the beholder. Fellow judge -- and at the time, confirmed bachelor -- Rick Stocker took the leftovers of that white stuff home. I am pretty sure he has better taste now that he has found a good woman.
I was a Frisco Idol judge the first year of the competition. I came away with the following wisdom: Some people really think they can sing. Some people can really sing. Rarely, do the two meet.
I was a jalapeno eating judge one year. That entails standing by a participant and making sure they really do eat all the jalapenos they claim to eat, and making sure they don't make themselves sick eating the fiery little devils.
I was a member of the newspaper's chili cooking team in 1989. We won the showmanship trophy. I know full well we had the best-tasting chili, too, but .....
I manned several Altrusa booths over the years. We sold cookbooks and, in one of the early years, slices of pie. I really don't know why we sold pie; it seems foolish in retrospect, and we didn't sell much, as I recall.
By far, I spent the greatest number of years working at Whitey's Frisco Chicken. Most of the time, we cooked at the pit near the intersection of Poplar and First streets, the smoke wafting over the crowd. That pit is gone now, the chicken cooked near Second and Locust streets. It isn't near as much fun since you don't get to see all the folks who are at the festival.
Things change.
Frisco Festival, however, has remained a constant in Rogers. It has grown from a small event filled with things like bed races and paper airplane contests to a huge festival featuring two days of music by top local and regional entertainers, bike and foot races.
You might want to make plans to come downtown Aug. 22-23. A good time will be had.
Commentary on 08/14/2014