JulyFest will go ahead under new leadership, with the Kimberley and District Chamber of Commerce handing the reins over to Events from Myrtle Mountain.
In October, the Chamber announced it would suspend its involvement in JulyFest for 2025, citing the need to focus on its long-term sustainability and success.
“Our primary mission as a Chamber is to advocate for, support, and promote local businesses,” said the Chamber in an October 25 announcement.
“While we recognize the importance of July Fest as a community event, we believe that focusing our resources on initiatives that more directly benefit local businesses and non-profits is necessary at this time.”
Since then, Events from Myrtle Mountain has stepped forward to keep JulyFest going as the event’s organizer.
“When we saw the announcement from the Chamber, we had a lot of questions and concerns. We put a group together to put forward a proposal,” said Jeremy Christensen, Events from Myrtle Mountain committee member.
“We decided that JulyFest needed to live on, and who better than the community itself. We put together a group of guys with a ton of experience and passion to make sure the event carries on.”
Christensen says the group is named after a local mountain which can be seen from the Kimberley Nature Park.
The Chamber has been cooperative with the newly formed community group.
“We look forward to seeing how Events from Myrtle Mountain brings a fresh perspective to JulyFest that aligns with the needs of the community,” said a statement from the Chamber of Commerce.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support during this transition.”
Christensen says next year’s JulyFest will have a different feel from previous events.
“We want to bring back the homecoming feeling of the event for the people of Kimberley. We want to bring back the grad reunions and everything and make it a welcoming space for people from Kimberley to come back and see everybody.”
Events from Myrtle Mountain has already received plenty of community support, and organizer say its growing.
“A ton of people have stepped up and put themselves out there for us, saying they want to be involved,” said Christensen.
“Volunteers are always huge when it comes to JulyFest, and Kimberley always steps up.”
There is still more work to do before serious planning gets underway, and the group is looking for any help they can get.
“Once the venue and insurance and whatnot are all in place, we’re really going to start reaching out to the community for support. We’re not just taking volunteers, but ideas and people who want to take on more responsibilities, too,” said Christensen.
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