Post photo by J. Reed

A wet, windy day threatened to ruin the last concert in the park of the summer, but some alternate plans saved the day for both young and old alike.

The Cedar Springs Area Parks and Recreation had a fun, family-friendly event scheduled in Morley Park last Thursday, August 20, but a little rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm. About 3:00 p.m., Director Amanda Gerhardt made the decision to hold the evening event in the Cedar Springs Middle School. “It had been raining all morning and was still black to the west at that time. We couldn’t risk it. The bounce houses may not have withstood the 20 mph winds either,” she explained.

They got the word out through Facebook, email, telephone, and their website. They still had over 250 people in attendance.

Post photo by P. Crystal

Kids enjoyed looking at and sitting in the new Cedar Springs Fire truck, jumping in three bounce houses and listening to Dilly songs with Aaron Vanderwege. They also received free water bottles and toys.

Adults enjoyed the music of Punch n’ Company, with American Idol contestant Jake Mellema, free popcorn, and a myriad of door prizes given out by local businesses. The Red Flannel Queen and court were on hand to help hand out tickets and door prizes. They also danced with the band. The Cedar Springs Police Department was also on hand.

According to Gerhardt, when Punch n’ Company took the stage, the place started rocking. “We had people dancing and saying it was the best band to date,” remarked Gerhardt. “We are already planning on having them return in 2010.”

She estimated that over 1,000 people attended this summer’s concert series, and is looking forward to 2010.