What a day! Yesterday’s Alton 250 Community Potluck on the square was an absolute blast, and it was great to see everyone come together on the square to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
A Fantastic Turnout
It was a really nice crowd all afternoon. At the peak, there were around 150 to 200 people gathered on the square at one time, with a steady stream of folks coming and going throughout the event.
It was the perfect atmosphere for visiting with neighbors and enjoying the beautiful day.
Speaking of the weather, it was partly cloudy for most of the event. When the sun started to get bright and hot, the “God of Nature” provided a perfect cloud cover that was equal to sitting under a canopy. Clouds to shield us but not enough to rain. Thank you God.
Great Food and Great Speakers
The organizers followed the agenda and everything proceeded with just a few hiccups (see below). It was moving to watch our veterans march down to the square to kick things off. After that, blessing on the food, the day, all those in attendance, and our country. Then the food lines opened up—the food was absolutely delicious!
A huge thank you to everyone who brought a dish to share, and those free snow cones really hit the spot.
After the opening remarks people grabbed some food and talked among themselves and the kids ate and played. All while enjoying some lovely patriotic and country music with some gospel music in the background.
We also enjoyed some great speeches from Representative Keith Elliott, candidate for Clerk Of Circuit Court, Crystal Howell, and our Oregon County Patriotic Pageant winners. Jerry from 11 Point Productions read “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.”
A Little Heat, But We Beat It
Of course, it wouldn’t be a live event without at least one little hiccup! We did have some minor technical issues with the sound system.
It turns out the audio equipment doesn’t like sitting directly in the hot afternoon sun any more than we do, and it ended up overheating on us.
We definitely should have put the equipment under a canopy for some shade!
But thanks to the engineer’s quick thinking, he quickly overcame the glitches, got things cooled down, and kept the celebration moving right along.
Thank You to Our Community
Most importantly, a massive thank you. Thank you to everyone who brought their families out to celebrate with everyone as a community on a very special day.
There is no country like the United States. Not because we’re special, but because we believe the special ideas in our Declaration of Independence, and, for the most part, act on those special beliefs.
To wrap up, a very special thank you goes out to the helpers who showed up early to get the square set up, and to all of our generous sponsors.
You are what makes this community so great, and this event couldn’t have happened without you!
