The wet and wild family fun kicked off bright and early in the morning at Veterans Park, and did not stop until the last concert notes were played well after dark. The hours in between were a rollicking spectacle of sight, sound and taste as Party in the Park stole the show at the Great Bend park Saturday.
As students in Great Bend get set to head back to school this week, Party in the Park provided one last summer hurrah for young and old alike in unseasonably mild August temperatures. An afternoon breeze even allowed for the Mega Kite display, put on by Great American Kites & Events, to take to the air. The giant kites featuring an astronaut, animals and superheroes, usually need a wind of at least 10-15 miles an hour to take flight, Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes said.
Though overall turnout was down slightly from past years, Hayes deemed the event a success overall.
“I think it’s a great time,” Hayes said. “It’s been a beautiful day, a great way to end the summer.”
Sixteen teams of kids and kids at heart kicked the festivities off in the morning as the Great Bend Rec hosted the double-elimination 8th Oozefest Mud Volleyball tournament on the north side of the park. Teams of six faced off in the muck and cold, with 15 of the teams attempting to dethrone six-time champions, the Tough Mudders. The tournament featured several hours of intense competition, with the Tough Mudders once again taking home the title.
On the other side of the park, the wet/dry parade kicked off with a Great Bend Police vehicle rolling down 17th Street Terrace cranking the tune, “Bad Boys”, the classic “COPS” TV show theme. The vehicle led a parade of Great Bend first responders and Great Bend businesses armed with all manner of water implements, and ready to engage in some friendly water “fire” with a crowd of youngsters armed with water weapons of many types.
While the unique parade is fairly recent addition to Party in the Park, Hayes was pleased overall with how the parade turned out.
A new event this year, the Anything that Floats Race, saw three entries with a team of three interns from the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau taking home the trophy with an entry featuring two inflatable mattresses and with a kid’s baby pool on top.
The afternoon featured a host of inflatables and yard games for youngsters, including an inflatable “rock wall” to challenge climbers of all ages.
In contrast to the up-tempo pace of other events, the afternoon car show allowed attendees to casually peruse more than 60 automobile entries to some “golden oldies” music flowing from the speakers.
Not for the faint of stomach, though, Mitchell’s Bakery sponsored a competitive donut eating contest with 18-and-over, 17 and under, and team divisions. Winners in the contest were Andrew Tucker, 18 and over; Jaselyn Werth, 17 and under; and Jessilyn Simonson and Bailey Foster; team division.
Following the daytime fun, sweet notes and bright lights were scheduled to fill the park as area musical acts Ricky Fugitt, Homebrew, and Sunny Sweeney took the stage, with a fireworks show set to light up the sky Saturday night.
