A ‘50s band and $2,000 in parade prizes will mark the 125th anniversary of the CPA Picnic this summer, along with new leadership of the annual event.
Kelly Jones is the new president after Grant High decided to step down now that he serves on the City Commission.
“I didn’t want to be in an active role where I was working with the city on trying to arrange the different components the CPA needs,” High said. “I felt like that was a conflict of interest.”
Jones said she took over as president because the group needed one. She said the position is more of a title, as each member contributes to the organization.
Jones grew up in Eudora, and she said the picnic is a “core memory” of her time growing up. She said she enjoys sharing that experience with her children and the community.
“It’s an event that I don’t know I’ve ever missed in my 41 years of being alive,” Jones said.
This year’s event is scheduled for June 11-13.
Jones said they increased the budget for a band this year and want to focus on entertainment for the anniversary. She said Thursday will feature entertainment geared toward senior citizens before two parades during the weekend.
“We’ll do some food specials for [seniors] and then, partnering with the Senior Foundation, maybe do transportation with them,” Jones said. “If they want to go to a concert solo, there’s going to be a place to pick them up. We’re going to try to make it easier for them.”
The CPA festivities will begin June 6, the Saturday before the parade weekend, with a scholarship golf tournament. Jones said they are still ironing out the details and start times of the tournament.
Jones said Thursdays have historically been the slowest day, but increased Thursday attendance in recent years has made the CPA add more events like the ‘50s band.
Friday will highlight the children’s parade, beginning at 7 p.m. Concessions will open at 5 p.m., and the carnival will open at 6 p.m.
The picnic on Saturday will also offer concessions starting at 5 p.m. and the carnival at 6 p.m., with the grand parade beginning at 7 p.m.
Jones said the CPA wanted to highlight the theme of the picnic, “Eudora Through the Ages,” by increasing the prize amounts for the children’s and grand parades.
The World Cup will be underway during the picnic, and the city’s strategy to encourage visitors to Eudora is highlighting summer events like the CPA Picnic, according to previous reporting.
Jones said she is aware of the conversations going on among the city and the Conventions and Visitors Bureau to highlight the picnic, but specific actions are still being discussed.
“The CPA is here to help with whatever that idea is or whatever it comes to be,” Jones said.
Changes to other summer events in town are also already in the works.
Conventions and Visitors Bureau President Amy DeLaRosa said they are working to revitalize the Main Street Market by having events on Friday evenings and all day Saturday during the CPA Picnic, instead of only Thursday evenings.
As far as the regular market schedule, she said they are looking at diversifying the locations of the markets.
“There will be some on Main Street. There may be some in other places of town. Those locations haven’t been finalized yet,” DeLaRosa said.
After the market kickoff on June 11 and 12, the market will occur on July 3, Aug. 7, Sept. 26 and Nov. 28. DeLaRosa said the November market will be all day and at the Rec Center.
As for the farmers market, the goal is to provide better consistency this year, said Jimmy Kegin, assistant director of Parks and Recreation.
He said these markets will occur from 5:30 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday starting May 5 and run through the end of September. Kegin said the market will end at 7:30 p.m. in September due to shorter evenings.
“Last year, we were skipping weeks here and there when the Main Street Market was going, and the vendors wanted consistency,” Kegin said. “It makes it a lot easier.”
The market will be at 15th Street and Elm Street, and Kegin said vendors can contact him if they are interested in being at the market. Kegin said the market had 10 to 12 vendors last year.
“My goal is to double that, and I’m hoping to partner with the high school culinary program,” Kegin said. “They had their own booth at a local market in Lawrence, and I’m like, ‘Well, hey, why don’t you come to ours?’ I don’t know exactly what they sell, but I’d like to have the high school kids there.”
The market will also accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits as payment, Kegin said, through help with grants from LiveWell Douglas County and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Reach reporter Michael Glenn at [email protected].
