Summer is back! And so are our community festivals. Show up and show your support

Summer has arrived, and along with it the return of community festivals, outdoor concerts, parades and county fairs.

After last year’s closures and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are eager to get out and celebrate.

So this year, with what appears to be the beginning of a return to normalcy, let’s not take these community events for granted.

Hours and hours of planning and preparation by dozens — if not hundreds — of volunteers are what make these events possible. Even on short notice, when we all were unsure of what 2021 would bring in the early part of the year, community groups were planning events with numerous scenarios in mind to bring them back after a summer of quarantine.

It’s not easy to stage these events in any year. But reviving them after a hiatus complicates the commitment even further. It takes more work, more time, more money and more help to put these events on after a year of shutdown. If you can’t volunteer to help, you can attend to make these revived events a success.

After a more than a year of scaled-back and socially-distanced life, make it a point to get out this summer and get together again with your community. And don’t forget to thank the organizers and countless volunteers that make it happen.