Rice Street Festival: Always changing, adding activities

Posted

The newly formed Rice Street Festival Committee has many more community members involved in the festival, which runs from Wed., July 24-Sun., July 28. The newly formed Rice Street Festival Committee has many more community members involved in the festival, which runs from Wed., July 24-Sun., July 28.

By DEBORAH BROTZ

While the Rice Street Festival is the oldest community festival around going back to 1910, it is always changing. This year the Free Family Fun Night has been expanded to include many more activities. And, the newly formed Rice Street Festival Committee has many more community members involved in the festival, which runs from Wed., July 24-Sun., July 28.

RiceStreetFest2MCM06_13“The festival committee is just expanding its volunteer base,” said Kirsten Libby, chair of the Rice Street Festival Committee and president of the North End Business Association (NEBA). “We’re getting more help from the community. Many hands make light work. We put a group together so more people from the community can get involved.”

Now, there’s a little more structure and involvement.

“Louis Ryg, who had been our parade director for many years, retired,” said Libby. “He handled so much. We had to bring new people on and get people educated as to what he did. Cindy Shanley retired as well so we have a new royalty director, Monette Moorman. Between Cindy retiring and Louis retiring, we had to fill a gap.”

In addition to Moorman, Don Apitz is the new parade director; Gidget Bailey, from Tin Cup’s, and Kevin Barrett, from Dar’s Double Scoop, are sharing activities director; while Gina Stokes, recreation director at Rice Street Recreation Center, is in charge of Family Fun Night at the center.

Libby, owner of Libby Law Office, wanted to be chair of the Rice Street Festival Committee for many reasons.

“I do like to be involved in the North End,” she said. “There are so many good things going on. The festival is a good opportunity to showcase Rice Street and the North End. With as many people who work on Rice Street, the festival shows the commitment and enthusiasm these volunteers have.”

The committee decided to expand the Family Fun Night because it’s so popular with families.RiceStreetFest3MCM06_13

“It was so well-attended and liked last year,” said Libby. “It’s an opportunity for good, clean, free family fun for kids and their parents.”

Family Fun Night will be held Fri., July 26, at the Rice Street Recreation Center, 1022 Marion St. and will feature several activities from 6 to 8 p.m.: a rock climbing wall, a jump castle, carnival games, face painting, temporary tatoos, and spin art and button making. A fire truck and a canine unit are also planned to be at the festival. At 8 p.m., a free outdoor movie, “Wreck It Ralph,” will be shown.

The schedule of festival activities is: Wed., July 24, Old Timers Softball Game; Thurs., July 25, Rice Street Festival Parade; Fri., July 26, Family Fun Night; Sat., July 27, Kickball Tournament, on athletic fields at Rice Street and Lawson across the street from Dar’s Double Scoop and JMT Subs. The Car Show and the High Heel Race are also on Saturday, which people can register for at Dar’s Double Scoop. Sun., July 28, is the Queen Coronation.

Apitz, who moved to the Rice Street area from Isanti in February 2013, helped out with the Isanti Parade as a float driver for the Isanti Ambassador Program for 15 years.

“I love community involvement,” he said. “The Rice Street Parade director was stepping down. It was the perfect opportunity to help the community I’m in. The more volunteers you have, the better everything is.”

Finding it difficult to pinpoint one parade highlight, Apitz says he’s trying to make the whole parade a highlight.

RiceStreetFest4MCM06_13“There is one thing,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of fire trucks. I’m trying to get all the fire trucks from the area that represent the different areas. When the little kids see a city block of fire trucks with sirens and lights flashing, it’s exciting. The Half Pint Marching Band from Farnsworth Elementary will be in the parade. A lot of schools don’t have marching bands.”

Moorman, who was a past Rice Street Princess six years ago, brings her past experience to her new position as royalty director.

“We like to keep our Royalty Program really based in the community,” she said. “We’d like to get more royalty from the Rice Street area.”

Moorman is in charge of the Kickoff Dinner, on Mon., June 24; the Fashion Show, on Mon., July 15; and the Coronation, on Sun., July 28.

The Kickoff Dinner is the introduction of candidates running for Rice Street Royalty. The social starts at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. and will be catered by TST, at Ideal Hall, 1494 Dale St. N.

“This is their first chance to be seen by the public,” said Moorman. “It’s a fun way to raise money for the festival. We also do a dessert auction.”

The Fashion Show also starts at 6 p.m. with a social hour, and at 7 p.m., the show starts. It will be held at the Klub Haus, 1079 Rice St.

“This is another one of our fund-raisers we do to support the festival,” said Moorman.

People can get in to the Coronation on July 28 with a button that costs $5. They will be available at many local businesses in the area on June 25.

The purpose of the Rice Street Festival is to celebrate the community.

“It presents the opportunity for people to come together and celebrate their neighborhood, their history, and their diversity,” said Libby.

Libby hopes people appreciate all the hard work volunteers have done to make the festival the best it can be.

“I hope that we have a lot of people participate, and they really have a good time,” she said.

For information, visit: ricestreetfestival.com

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here