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FAIRMONT--This Saturday, the Fairmont Opera House has planned a street fest that includes music, food, vendors, a flea market, family games and classic cars.
Fairmont Opera House Operations Manager Julie Fleming said that the planning process and organization has been happening for a few months. In the past, the Opera House has planned block parties and provided live music in the downtown area usually around the Fourth of July. Part of the street party intentions is also connected to the city's Downtown Revitalization project event's subcommittee that plans events to attract people to what downtown Fairmont has to offer.
The music stage will be located right in front of El Agave. If it were to rain the location would be inside the Opera House. The music provided is two bands named Wayward and Junk FM. Wayward will play from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Junk FM will take over from there and play three 90-minute sets.
Fleming described Wayward as an acoustic singer and songwriter who came to Fairmont to perform in a backyard concert and is back in Fairmont for only the second time.
"It was a really neat show and I connected with him at that point," Fleming said. "That's when we knew we wanted him to come back at some point."
Fleming described Junk FM as a jukebox cover band that ranges from oldies to modern pop songs. This will also be Junk Fm's second time in Fairmont after playing at last year's Bacon Town Throwdown at the Fairmont Raceway.
The artisans are small creative businesses that will display their work and have it for sale. For family games there is a combined effort from the group Kids Just Want To Have Fun and Fairmont Elementary School's Michelle Rosen. They along with the Opera House worked together to make some family games that are a make and take and a downtown scavenger hunt that is open to kids of all ages and families.
Fleming said that she would like to see the community take advantage of this opportunity and great time to support local businesses. Executive Director of the Opera House Blake Potthoff offered a similar statement saying that it’s about getting people together and enjoying the weather and things that downtown Fairmont has to offer.
"We have a beautiful downtown and a beautiful city," Potthoff said. "We just want to try enhancing it by having music available."
Potthoff said that there are two perspectives that he wanted to share to the community and readers which is an Opera House and highlighting downtown Fairmont and the community.
Potthoff said the Opera House perspective is they are back, they still exist and they're committed to bringing in high quality entertainment to the people of Fairmont and beyond. Fleming added a thought to the back of what Potthoff said.
"This is also a way for us to say thank you, because we wouldn't be here without the community that supported us over the last year," Fleming said.
The second perspective is to highlight downtown businesses that have also had tough years. Potthoff also said it is an opportunity to think and dream about what downtown Fairmont could look like in the next three to five years.
"If we take an opportunity just to stop for a second and appreciate what we have, I think we'll really understand as a community that we're very, very fortunate," Potthoff said.