Summerfest cancelled for 2006
By Kevin Kelley
Fairview Park
Published March 22, 2006

It’s almost like Santa Claus having to cancel Christmas.

But even a red-nosed reindeer wouldn’t save the day for Fairview Park.

The lack of parking space due to construction work at the new Westgate shopping center is forcing community leaders to cancel Summerfest for 2006.

The annual community gathering at Bohklen Park, located just south of Westgate, had been scheduled for Aug. 4 – 6. But Westgate officials revealed in recent meetings with city leaders that nearly the entire property will be fenced off for construction work, leaving no room for parking.

Thomas P. Corrigan, chairman of the Summerfest Committee for the past two years, announced the cancellation in a letter addressed to the citizens of Fairview Park and surrounding communities.

“Due to the almost total lack of parking available to us during the construction phase of Westgate, there is no way for us to adequately handle the wonderful crowds that we have had in the last few years,” Corrigan wrote. “So I ask, as chairman, that you keep alive the wonderful memories of past Summerfests and know that we as a community will work hard to bring you a great event in the future.”

While realizing that people will be disappointed, Mayor Eileen Patton said organizers were left with no choice but to cancel the event for this year.

“Due to no parking at Westgate, we had no other alternative but to postpone it,” the mayor said. “It would be crazy to have this three-day event with nobody there.”

Officials expect the event to resume in 2007. Summerfest leaders considered whether enough parking spaces existed on the side streets near Bohklen Park and at Lutheran West High School. But ultimately it was decided there simply were not enough places for people to park.

Patton said other locations were considered for the annual festival, such as the high school football stadium. But that location will also be under construction due to the final phase of renovation of the field. The Gilles-Sweet School property, the point from which the annual Summerfest parade begins, is also a construction site now due to the new school being constructed there.

The lack of an alternative site demonstrates just how landlocked Fairview Park is, Patton said.

“We just call it growing pains,” the mayor said.

Patton told West Life she would like to see some Summerfest activities included along with the six summer concerts scheduled at Bain Park Cabin so that the community spirit of the event will live on this summer. Summerfest was also the main fundraising activity of many community organizations, so the mayor wants to help local groups keep their coffers filled as well.

Summerfest volunteers will meet at the city hall community room April 5 at 7 p.m. to plan possible alternative activities.