Kimberley JulyFest is in the books for another year, and for the first year at a new venue, organizers consider it a great success.
Chamber Manager Mike Guarnery and JulyFest coordinator Karen Rempel spoke to the Bulletin Monday morning, while tearing down the festival infrastructure at Coronation Park.
With the new splash park having forced a move for the bocce pits, this year’s JulyFest was a test of the new location, and Guarnery says the feedback was definitely positive.
“I think we had a pretty awesome weekend,” he said. “We were very impressed with the attendance. I thought the volunteers kept up and did a great job presenting a great JulyFest. We can’t thank our sponsors enough.
“The feedback on the new venue was very positive. People enjoyed the spacious surroundings. The security people had no issues. The Kids Festival was well attended. Of course we learned a few things for next year and we’ve already mapped out a few changes.”
Guarnery says that the JulyFest committee and the community itself will provide feedback over the coming months, but he does think JulyFest will stick with Coronation Park next year.
“I think it was a great, positive experience. I couldn’t be happier with the job our coordinator, Karen Rempel, did. We’re also very happy with the work Josh Hoffman, our bocce coordinator, did.”
“We survived another JulyFest,” Rempel said. “It was a great event — a really good turnout. I think people liked the new location. You could see them sitting in circles on the lawn, enjoying their friends, loving the local music, the bocce. I think it went really well.
“It was a new location and there are logistical things to work out, we know them now. But we had good sponsors, good turnout, good local business sponsors with prizes. And our Platinum sponsor, BDO, really came through big for us.”
Guarnery says the bigger stage and area to listen to bands gave the venue a more professional look.
“The local musicians really stepped up and showcased what they can do.”
Also a success was being able to serve beer in cans rather than pouring. It kept waits in the beer lines shorter and was easier on the volunteers.
“We definitely need more recycle bins next year, we learned that,” he said.
But overall it was an enjoyable weekend and Kimberley was certainly alive and filled with people for its duration.
