St. Helens’ seventh annual Citizens Day in the Park

McCormick Park was teeming with activity on June 22, as folks from around St. Helens enjoyed the sunshine, free food, music, and fun for the seventh annual Citizens Day in the Park.

St. Helens Communications Officer Crystal King said that the city estimated that more than 1,000 people were in attendance based on the number of meals served during the free barbecue lunch. In addition to the large crowd turnout, this year’s event doubled the number of vendors the city hosted, with about 100 vendors there.

The event is a great opportunity for members of the community to come together. King detailed what makes the event such an important priority for the city.

“The event is focused on providing an opportunity for face-to-face community connection. It gives people the chance to have meaningful interactions with their fellow community members,” King said. “We also actively recruit and prioritize local organizations, service groups, and businesses for our vendor spaces to showcase local resources and provide a venue where local businesses can connect with the St. Helens community.”

One of the highlights of the day was that each vendor was asked to host a “free community activity” at their booth, which brought out the vendors’ creativity and sparked fun for families in attendance.

Mayor Rick Scholl and others were grilling up burgers and barbecuing the free food. The St. Helens City Council was out and about, meeting with constituents from around the community. Rolling into town were the Highway 30 Cruisers, which were on full display, showing the hottest wheels Columbia County has to offer. The Decades band rocked the stage into the afternoon.

King and the city expressed gratitude for all of the organizations and people who made Citizens Day a success this year.

“As always, we appreciate The Decades band for donating their time to have live music at the event and the Highway 30 Cruisers for organizing a wonderful car show,” King said. “This event is made possible thanks to many local businesses and volunteers donating resources and time, and we thank each of them for their support in making Citizens Day in the Park possible.”