Celebration sets bar high for next Heritage Days

Congratulations to the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, Fox Theatre, Norris Foundation, Optimists, McCook Art Guild, John Kugler and other balloonists, Micky Stubblefield and family, and countless other organizations and individuals who made Heritage Days 2011 an event to remember.

It was good to see Norris Park so full of vendors, and although Chamber director Pam Harsh credited the good weather, we know they wouldn't have turned out in such numbers had not there been a quality slate of programs and events to draw the crowds following Saturday's parade.

Norris Park looked especially sharp with the newly refurbished bandshell, and was a worthy focus of entertainment activities as well as arts, crafts and treats.

Those who remember Mickey Stubblefield from the 1950s had a great time reliving baseball's glory days in McCook.

There was something for the Baby Boomers who remember John Denver's music from the 1970s, thanks to the Fox's effort to bring tribute artist Ted Vigil to town. It was great to see him get local kids involved in making animal sounds for "Grandma's Feather Bed," as well as carrying on Denver's legacy with new songs in the same vein.

Truly, the weekend's events caused a lot of us to remember how things were "Back in the Day."

Organizers had to scramble, but the first fire department water fights for Heritage Days were an unqualified success, and although Saturday's conditions didn't allow for flights, Friday night and Sunday morning ascensions were as spectacular as ever.

The only problem we could see with this year's Heritage Days is that it set the bar pretty high for next year's event.

Check out http://mccookgazette.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mccookgazette for YouTube videos of the United Way Road Race, the Heritage Days Parade, Fire Department Water Fight and Balloon Festival.