By RUSSELL JONES
The first annual Estabrook Music Festival will happen on Labor Day weekend, giving area residents a final chance to cut loose before the end of summer. The festival runs Friday and Saturday, Aug. 30 and 31 at Estabrook Park and will feature music, food and waterslides, among other events.
The Brandon Recreation Department and the Brandon Area Toy Project will put on the festival. The Rec Department has put on what they described as several “successful” events this season and hopes that the music festival will follow suit.
“The carnival was a hit this year and the state cornhole tournament was huge,” said Colleen Wright, assistant to the recreation director and music festival organizer. “The idea is to bookend the summer with the carnival to start and the music festival to end it.”
A concert on Saturday will showcase teenage bands from around the state. There are currently three bands signed up, but Wright said there might be more by the day of the concert.
“It used to be that everyone had a garage band, but that’s gone the way of the dinosaur,” Wright said. “We’re trying to show kids that you can still do things like starting a band if that’s what you’re interested in.”
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and run until 10 p.m. on Saturday night, but there will be plenty of other things happening on both days to provide entertainment.
On Friday and Saturday, waterslides will help event-goers cool down and enjoy the last few days of summer. There will be two waterslides that are over 20 feet long and around 15 feet high that will be at the park for kids and adults to enjoy.
On the first day of the festival, there will be a school supply Bingo where students can win supplies for the coming school year. There will also be a sports equipment swap where parents can exchange sports equipment their children have outgrown with others.
In addition, Friday night will also be the night for Kid’s Idol, which includes a $100 grand prize.
“We’re trying to build on the success we had with Brandon Idol,” Wright said of the show, adding that the rec department was trying to expand its offerings for more ages of young students throughout the community. “We’ve traditionally had great things for younger kids to do and a wide variety of things for teens and adults, but there’s a gap in the middle where we feel we can improve.”
The Kid’s Idol show will be open to contestants 13 and under, allowing them to put their vocal skills on display.
Several food trucks will also be at the park, including Sustainable Eats and Taco De Town. An ice cream truck will also be there to satisfy those with a sweet tooth. Vendor spaces are still available. If interested, contact Colleen Wright at the rec department.
The event gates will open at 4 p.m. both days and go until 9 or 10 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the gate, but several local businesses around town will have coupons available for free admission. Waterslide bracelets will need to be purchased, in addition to admission, for $10 per day that will give the wearer unlimited rides.
