South Jacksonville’s annual Celebration is getting a complete makeover for 2016.
During Thursday’s village meeting, trustee and Celebration co-chair Paula Belobrajdic-Stewart noted her top priority for the event was to make the South Jacksonville Celebration a family-friendly event.
Belobrajdic-Stewart says all the responsibilities of the Celebration event has been transferred over to First Christian Church.
“We partnered with them for the Little Miss and Mr Pageant last year. This year is the first year Kevin Eckhoff and I are able to plan the Concert and Celebration in their entirety. We are talking about blow ups in the grass area, balloon art, face painting, petting zoos and carnival rides that you see in fairs. This will be free to the public. We want everyone to come celebrate South Jacksonville during that weekend.”
The directors for the parade, 5K fun run and Little Mr. and Miss Pageants will come from First Christian Church.
Much like the Concert in the Cornfield, the Celebration will be paid out of the village’s hotel-motel tax.
The annual Celebration and Concert dates have been changed as well. The Celebration is scheduled for July 29th and 30th and the Concert will run at the end of August.
Belobrajdic-Stewart says this will give each event the proper recognition it deserves.