Springfield Days bigger than ever
At their final meeting last week, many members of the Springfield Days Committee literally raised their heads and hands to the sky, half-jokingly praying for the rain gods to keep this weekend dry.
In its 21-year history, this is the first year the celebration has been scheduled for more than two days, mainly because last year the final day of the festival was cut short for many due to an unrelenting rainstorm.
The dollar amount raised and the number of sponsors backing Springfield Days doubled this year. Thousands of hours have been spent to ensure things will go smoothly, even to the extent of not having any adult rides so as to keep away potential liabilities.
The committee, which has planned and fund-raised for the four days of activity for the past six months to the smallest detail, knew there was nothing more they could possibly control, and turned to their last refuge: religion.
This year's Springfield Days is especially significant because it marks one of the last years that central Springfield will look as it currently does.
Base realignment, with tens of thousands of federal employees and just as many support staff and contractors, is coming and a new land use process will allow for developers and owners to buy up or revitalize rezoned land.
This means that new offices, refurbished apartment complexes and new shops are probable in the not-too-distant future.
This year also marks the beginning of construction on the multimillion-dollar Springfield Mall project, and the new mall owner is making efforts to participate with the community by hosting a four-day family festival with children's rides starting on the afternoon of Thursday, May 29.
One event that will stay the same, however, is the Springfield Days parade. Organized for the past four years by Springfield Woman's Club member Pat Milot and always held at 10 a.m. on the last Saturday in May, the parade will feature favorites like fife and drum marching bands and the Paws on Parade, where local residents proudly follow their leashed dogs down the street.
Winding past Springfield Plaza, this parade, which for 20 years capped off the community's party, may be a last look for many to see Springfield as it exists now before everything changes.