Warm weather welcomes visitors to Citizens Day in the Park

The weather could not have been more cooperative during Citizens Day in the Park, held Saturday, June 22, at McCormick Park in St. Helens.

Vendors were aplenty and The Decades band performed familiar rock ‘n’ roll classics as citizens enjoyed a free barbecue lunch and lots of family fun.

It’s an event that St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl has helped organize since its inception, and was only halted once — during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.

“It started with my idea seven years ago,” Scholl said during the event. “The council got behind it … This would not be possible without businesses as sponsors.”

Scholl says the idea behind Citizens Day in the Park was to get people off their high-tech devices and enjoy a day in the park.

City administrator John Walsh attended and spoke about the number of vendors at the event.

“It’s great, it’s people coming out and enjoying the day and seeing all the vendors,” he said. “We have about 100 vendors signed up to be here today.”

City Councilor Jessica Chilton said the event is growing each year.

“We have the car show and so many activities,” Chilton said. “It just feels like the whole city has turned out. There are lots of community members and it just feels like a wonderful community event. It feels awesome.”

Citizens Day in the Park takes a lot of planning, and prep work usually begins in January, according to Crystal King, communications officer with the city of St. Helens.

“We work with a lot of community groups that help volunteer for the event,” King said. “We also provide free vendor spaces for all the vendors. We have a focus on community businesses and organizations, so we have a list of those that we reach out to and invite to come.”

King added, “It’s just a great event to bring the community together and connect them with local resources.”

One of the mainstays at the event, along with area law enforcement and the Columbia River Fire & Rescue District, is Stacey Mendoza, director of communications for the St. Helens School District.

At her booth, a spinning wheel of prizes attracted all ages.

“We have our district swag that we we’re handing out for free,” Mendoza said. “You can get anything from tumblers to crayons to wrist bands.”

Mendoza said she was impressed with the Saturday turnout.

“I think it’s amazing,” she said. “I think it’s been getting better each and every year, and I love that they expanded out here into the grass area.”

The weather was ideal, perhaps a little too warm for some.

“Couldn’t ask for better weather today,” Scholl said. “A little toasty but we’ll deal with that. Better than rain.”