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Strawberry Fest draws record crowd; council approves multiple community events
Summary
Council heard Parks & Recreation reports that Strawberry Fest brought roughly 65,000 attendees and that the city hosted a large youth basketball tournament; council approved a series of community event permits including a Relay for Life and the Christina Chambers Twilight 5K.
Council members on May 11 heard Parks & Recreation updates and approved several community event permits for the summer.
Nathan reported that Strawberry Fest set a new record crowd, drawing roughly 65,000 visitors from about 35–38 states. He also said the city hosted a Nike junior EYBL tournament that involved about 130 teams and averaged roughly 3,500 people per day; organizers relied on additional courts at a local academy to accommodate the field. Nathan said the water park is preparing to open for the season, with the Lazy River expected to be ready near opening day.
On permits, the council approved: a Saint Paul's Lutheran School field day (May 18), a Cullman County Public Library summer reading kickoff (June 8), a Community Hero's Day at the library (Aug. 22), an American Cancer Society Relay for Life event (May 30), and the Christina Chambers Twilight 5K (Aug. 7) — the 5K organizers told the council they had 116 signups to date and expect more than 500 runners, and that some proceeds will benefit Willow Path and the family of Christina Chambers. All event requests were approved by voice vote.
Council members and staff praised event organizers and noted the economic and community benefits of large festivals and tournaments; no permits were denied or tabled.
