By Ruth Hendricks | [email protected]

Another Harvest Days celebration, a Midvale city tradition, has come and gone.

Kane Loader, city manager, said at the Aug. 14 city council meeting, “This was my 30th Harvest Days, and this one was the best. Every event was better than I’ve seen before.”

Laura Magness, a communications specialist with Midvale city and chair of the 2018 Harvest Days committee, recognized committee members and their amazing contributions before the event at the July 17 Midvale City Council meeting. The committee was thanked again for their efforts after the event, at the Aug. 14 city council meeting.

Harvest Days is “An honored tradition that brings fun-filled days that residents look forward to every year,” said Magness. This year the event ran from Aug. 2 through 11, featuring neighborhood block parties, a free bingo night, a movie in the park, the Art Council’s art show, and the first Midvale Main Street art walk.

Mayor Robert Hale said, “We look forward to a delightful celebration week, beginning with the neighborhood block parties. This is a good city celebration and good for getting to know your neighbors.”

The Harvest Days festival on Saturday, Aug. 11 at the Midvale City Park, featured a concert by the Bellamy Brothers, country music artists best known for their easy-rolling 70’s southern soft rock classic “Let Your Love Flow,” and are considered to be the most successful duo in country music history. The Junction 89 Band warmed up the evening’s entertainment.

“In addition to free live entertainment, the festival featured a 5K fun run, an awesome pickle ball tournament, a pancake breakfast from the community council, and activities for kids and teens,” said Magness.

Bumble, the official mascot of the Salt Lake Bees, was at the fun run to help raise money. Participants paid a registration fee of $10, with all profits going to the Midvale Boys and Girls Club.

Kids’ activities included a free obstacle course, giant high slide, dragon tunnel, wipe out slide, wet castle bounce-‘n-slide, bouncy boxing, pedestal joust, and even a Nerf war.

Merchants, artists, and home crafters sold their products at the park. Magness thanked Councilmember Dustin Gettel for working to get a variety of food trucks to come.

The Unified Fire Authority (UFA) and Unified Police Department (UPD) held a safety fair which included K9 demonstrations and the firefighter equipment challenge, which let kids dress up to be firefighters and try out the fire hose.

The evening ended with an incredible fireworks display that Magness said was “one of the best, if not the best in the valley.”

Magness introduced the members of the committee who were able to attend the city council meeting on July 17. The committee included city council members Bryant Brown and Gettel; community council members Sophia Hawes-Tingey, Susan Hale, and Stacey Phillips; from the UPD, Chief Randy Thomas, Jeff Nelson, Cory Tsouras and Lori Shaw; from the UFA, Mathew McFarland, Brad Larson and Christen Yee; commissioner Shane Liedtke; and from the Arts Council, Wade Walker and Melanie Beardall.

Lyndzi Elsmore was the parade subcommittee chair. Suzanne Walker was the afternoon entertainment in the park subcommittee chair. Steve Brown was the food truck subcommittee chair. Also on the committee were Spencer Mears, Lynn Patterson, Susan Patterson, and Judd Bell.

Magness also recognized “A lot of city employees who either served on the committee or helped immensely.” This included Loader, the new recreation director Josh Allred, Chris Butte, Shelly Reed, Wendy Ball and Sherry Reynolds, all with Midvale City.

At the Aug. 14 city council meeting, when the event was concluded, the council again recognized Magness and the committee for a successful event.

Laurie Harvey, assistant city manager, reported to the council that the bingo night had over 1,000 participants, and 219 pancake breakfasts were served on Saturday by the community council. The workers at the food trucks estimated that they served about 4,000 people at the Saturday festivities. All the food trucks sold out. Magness said that about 150 people attended the movie in the park. She thanked the council for their support, as well as the UPD and UFA for helping out at the event.

City council members and representatives from the police and fire departments expressed appreciation for the people they visited with at various neighborhood block parties.