When the extreme heat of Friday was promised for
Saturday as well, the church prayed. Saturday started with rain.
They prayed some more, according to Open Arms Christian Fellowship
Pastor Larry Crawford. And it worked. The rain and clouds cooled
things just enough to make the tree filled park pleasant enough for
lots of fun.
OACF has been putting on the event that draws thousands of families
into the park for a good time together and an opportunity to build
family memories without breaking the bank. The all-free event costs
are offset in part by local business participation.
From 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. there were old-fashioned tossing, putting
and other skill games, which earned participants tokens to claim
prizes the kids loved. Kids also found a park full of inflatable
obstacle course bounce houses. For the waterdogs, a quiet spot
offered a soothing overhead rain shower and nearby there was a water
slide with pool ending. An ahhhh moment on a hot day!
The festival included face painting, a bubbles station and other
activities.
And, of course there was refreshments - hot dogs, hamburgers, Sno
Kones, cotton candy and more.
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Church members graciously served in every area of the
park and did their best to make the day fun and happy for families.
The main stage offered live musical entertainment in a variety of
musical genre including an excellent Elvis Tribute Band performer at
noon.
The main event was scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Everyone was invited to attend the evening performance when there
would be drawings for a number of valuable prizes announced.
[Jan Youngquist] |