ALLIANCE – In the Valley of Silver Park, Days in the Park brings a community together for four days and creates meaningful memories.
It includes food, live music, crafts and other activities.
“Honestly, it’s been a staple in this town since I was a kid,” says Jennifer Wayt, who, along with her mother, Judy Wayt, owns Two J’s Lillypad, a small business specializing in soaps, wax melts and other handmade items.
Days in the Park is one of the most popular events of the Greater Alliance Carnation Festival. It opened Wednesday night at Silver Park and runs through Saturday. The festival runs from 4-9 p.m. on Friday and 1-10 p.m. on Saturday. The fireworks show is scheduled for 9:30 p.m.
The rainy date for the fireworks is Sunday, 9:30 p.m.
29th Annual Event: Carnation Scramble in Tannenhauf raises funds for Alliance YWCA
“I think Days in the Park has always been the biggest because it’s all local community organizations,” said Logan McGee, one of four vice presidents on the festival’s board. “At the Food Fest at Mount Union, we have our outside vendors and vendor booths. Here, it’s the local churches, scouts and schools.”
McGee said that while the artisans are not all from Alliance, they are small businesses. “It’s not like some chain store is coming to the festival.”
Wayt said they are getting a lot of attention and attracting new customers.
“Days in the Park” is an important source of income for local groups
McGee points out that most food and activity booths are run by local organizations trying to raise money to operate them.
For example, Alliance Hot Stove President Brian Burse called Days in the Park the “biggest fundraiser” of the year for the youth baseball league. The league fielded 29 teams this season, which ended in July, even though fall baseball begins soon.
The Hot Stove stand sold corn dogs and cheese on a stick.
“The great thing for us is that half of the people who work at the trailer are not board members or former board members. They are people who used to have kids who played with us and still come by to help us and have fun,” Burse said.
Another booth, operated by the Alliance Marlington Softball Association, sold frozen cheesecakes and frozen bananas to raise money. Aaron Cade, the president of the softball league, said they made their Days in the Park debut last year and it was “a huge success.”
Karen Williams, 77, and her boyfriend Nick Davies, both of Alliance, ate steak sandwiches and listened to the music of the Chicago tribute band that took the stage Thursday night. They formerly lived in Deerfield and moved to Alliance last year to be closer to shops and doctors.
“We really enjoyed it,” Williams said.
Buckshot performed on Wednesday. In Like Flinn and John Hampu Band were scheduled for Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Hot air balloons did not take off, but they entertained the crowds for a short time
The Greater Alliance Carnation Festival’s annual balloon release, which was scheduled to be a separate event in close proximity to Days in the Park, was canceled Thursday night due to weather conditions. However, folks weren’t completely disappointed.
The four balloon participants briefly inflated their blimps in another area of Silver Park so people could see them. Then it became too windy and the balloons deflated.
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or [email protected]. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP.
