Was it the best ever?

The 6th Winni River Days has come to a close. It was said a couple times over the weekend and I must agree, it is the most wonderful weekend of the year!

The past two years, weather was cold, rainy and definitely subpar. The crowds made the best of it, but this year was tremendous. The final numbers are still being counted by the Mill City Park nonprofit, but it felt like a much bigger crowd and more consistent than in past years. We saw license plates from West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee and a lot of New York, in addition to our New England local visitors. 

The river was a hub of activity with whitewater on center stage. The three live bands, beer tents, food trucks and vendors definitely added to the event. Children were able to participate without spending any money at the “Living Graffiti Wall” inside Mill City Park and the Kids Area, with a bounce house, trampoline park and climbing wall. The competitions were on point (even though we didn’t take home the Dirty Thwart), with high levels of participation and even better engagement from the crowd. 

I believe that this year's Winni River Days was nothing short of spectacular, leading me to make a bold statement - this was the best one yet! 

The festival was a heartwarming display of community spirit. It was a testament to what can be achieved when a community unites with a shared purpose and a love for fun.

For me I believe that is what community looks like. It is vibrant. It is active. Yes, whitewater was on center stage, but, headlining the show was our community, our volunteers, our neighbors and our kids. Accepting and vibrant places are places people like to visit and more importantly like to live. 

As the sun set on Winni River Days, the laughter and cheers echoes in my memories from the weekend. This year's festival set a new standard. 

I’m sending a special thank you to all who sponsored and to every volunteer who did the work required for our community to have a beautiful weekend.