by Dennis Dalman
In its 25 years, the Sartell – this year slated for June 9-10 – was rained out only twice, and one of the festival’s founders, Tim O’Driscoll, remembers the washouts well – especially the second one.
The first washout happened in 1994, the third annual SummerFest.
“The rain came so hard and so fast that when it hit the ground, water flowed from the street up over the curbs onto the sidewalks,” O’Driscoll recalled.
He remembers at that soggy SummerFest, the current Sartell police chief, Jim Hughes, was a sergeant with the department and how they exchanged words about the furious rain cancelling the event.
By the time of the second cancellation, three years ago, O’Driscoll had become a state representative and Hughes had become the city’s police chief. As the sky went gloomy and rain threatened, Hughes and O’Driscoll were sitting next to each other.
“We looked at each other, and we both said ‘Well, here we go again,’” O’Driscoll recalled.
They’d both been asked that day by members of the parade committee if the event should be cancelled. The rain won out.
Beginnings
In 1982, Sartell celebrated its 75th anniversary, the Sartell Diamond Jubilee. Sartell resident Jack Paulsen was a co-chair of that event, and O’Driscoll was a high-school senior at the time who was active in helping organize the city celebration.
Flash forward 10 years. They heard from so many Sartell residents about how fun the Diamond Jubilee had been and who thought the city should have another event like it. Paulsen and O’Driscoll, both members of the Sartell Lions Club, heartily agreed. They pitched the idea for a city celebration to their fellow Lions Club members, and they all agreed to sponsor a city festival starting in 1992. That was the first Sartell SummerFest, a three-day event. Throughout the years, it eventually became a two-day event, with variations from year to year. But the festival, despite changes, has always featured a big parade, family fun and activities, music, dancing and more recently fireworks every year.
The Sartell Jaycees’ members were also a moving force in those years who helped the festival keep going.
Throughout the years, there were usually about a dozen key movers-and-shakers to coordinate the ambitious annual SummerFest. In the year 2000, however, participation fell off and the event was cancelled that year. Fortunately, a rebound happened, and it’s been a green-light go ever since.
Over time, businesses began to become more and more involved in the form of generous contributions and participation. For example, Great River Bowl sponsored the street-dance event with live music. This year, Blue Line Sports Bar & Grill is sponsoring the fireworks show. A few years ago, Liberty Bank agreed to sponsor and staff “Libertyville,” a family-fun event complete with inflatables, music, food and special activities. That tradition now continues.
Lindbloom
Volunteers on the day of the events were always crucial, including help from the Sartell Police Department (especially its Reserve Officer contingent), the Sartell Fire Department, the Sartell Public Works Department and volunteer-participants from city government.
David Lindbloom, for example, has been a diehard SummerFest volunteer for more than two decades.
“This one will be my 22nd year,” he said.
What’s his best memory?
“That’s easy,” he said. “It’s the smiles on the faces of the kids during the parade.”
And that is why Lindbloom first became involved – his own children. He and Lisa have three grown children: Christopher, 30; Valerie, 27; and Megan, 22. When they were tykes, they loved the hoopla of SummerFest so naturally Lindbloom wanted to help make the festival the best it could be. Now, with two grandsons, he is carrying on the tradition – bringing smiles to the faces of children.
At one time, son Christopher was a Reserve officer for the Sartell Police Department and helped at SummerFests. Now, as a member of the Big Lake Police Department, he will be back in Sartell, helping out not as an officer but as a volunteer, along with his father.
It’s been a lot of work, but it’s worth it, Lindbloom noted, and it’s a job one can really get wrapped up in. For example, in 2005, after helping coordinate the SummerFest for that year, Lindbloom had to be at a niece’s graduation ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah during the actual SummerFest Parade.
“There I was out in Utah, as nervous as an expectant mother, worrying about if everything was going right with SummerFest back in Sartell,” he said. “I made some phone calls. I learned everything went fine.”
In recent years, Lindbloom is the main SummerFest Parade planner, along with co-coordinator Mark Schmitz.
Lindlboom still remembers vividly the day he signed up. In 1995, the parade had to be cancelled due to rain. Shortly after, there was a notice published that anyone interested in continuing SummerFest in future years should attend a meeting to enlist volunteers. Knowing how his own children enjoyed the event, Lindbloom said to his wife, “One of us has got to go to that meeting.”
Lindlboom decided to go. There was a room with about a dozen people who’d stepped up to bat, and there was a working kitty-capital of only $500. But, working together, they managed to pull it off. And dedicated volunteers who love to see smiles on kids’ faces have been making SummerFest a big success for a quarter of a century.