Jeff Burgar
Have a good event and inevitably, there will be people wanting to do it all over again next year.

It might be a music festival, a family picnic, a big sale at a store, or some kind of concert. Every volunteer or organizer of any community happening has the same problem. If it’s the first time for the event, and it’s a success, people ask, “Are you going to do it again next year?”

Well, maybe not so much for a balloon sale at a local car dealer, or a sidewalk sale downtown. But public events, celebrations, tournaments, competitions, all such seem to naturally create vibe and interest if they go well.

If one was good, another one next year has to be even better, right?

So it already is with the Party in the Park, the High Prairie Sesquicentennial Committee’s celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday. Organizers were happy with the turnout. The public was happy with the organizers. Vendors were happy. It was all great fun.

So, in the ordinary course of events, of course there will be another one next year. What’s not to love about having a High Prairie event on a July 1 holiday?

Actually, there is indeed a problem, if you ask some people. That problem is, if there is a move to future events, High Prairie would now be competing with every other community event around the region. This, according to many people, is a great big no-no. It just isn’t done, for heaven’s sake!

And in fact, over the course of decades, efforts to create some type of excitement in High Prairie to celebrate July 1, or a local event around that date, have not fared completely well. Many events. Many different organizers and organizations tried. There are many stories explaining why it didn’t happen again.

Some say it was a lack of enthusiasm getting volunteers. Some say nothing lived up the hype leading up to the event. Others say the whole idea was not bad, but some people were determined to cash in and make money, which left a bad taste in the mouths of many volunteers. Some say the scheduling was wrong. Too much effort was being made to avoid conflicts with other happenings.

Then there is the argument for some of the happenings, there was too much effort to make a “big” event, instead of something like a block party.

All are valid criticisms in one case or another.

Many will be taking a close look at this for 2018. July 1 falls on a Sunday, which, along with good weather, is always a great start to a successful event. After that, it isn’t until 2023 July 1 falls on a weekend day.

If one wants to kick start something, talk should start soon. No matter what is said about competing with other happenings, there will still be people in High Prairie who can’t, won’t or don’t travel on that holiday. That is the audience. It should also be the source of the volunteers and organizers needed.

If High Prairie wants an event, no matter what size, these are the people who have to all come together.