Parkfest August 19 in Medford
SHAWNA KONIECZNY
Tickets available for cash prizes • Walk-around Raffles • Games for all ages
On Thursday, August 19, the Medford Chamber of Commerce and Medford Cooperative will present a special edition of Parkfest located in the city park. Rain or shine, Parkfest will be featuring a variety of events and activities throughout the day, all leading up to a concert by rising country artist Chris Kroeze. Kroeze was the runner-up on the 15th season of the Voice which premiered in the fall of 2018. The 30-year-old Barron native was coached by country star Blake Shelton and now has an album and a number of singles recorded and released on streaming services. His latest release is a song called “Tie a Know” which was released on April 20 of this year.
Kroeze will be taking the stage at 7 p.m and general admission is free to the public. VIP access is available for purchase, although not many tickets are left. The VIP package costs $70 and comes with a meet and greet, beer, a camp chair, and the possibility for other prizes. The stage, made up of two flatbeds, will be set up on Centennial Parkway facing the park with seating located in the parking lot next to the skatepark.
Parkfest has been going on for a number of years now, but this year, they are bringing in new events. “We changed it up a little bit because we’re bringing in Chris Kroeze for Parkfest. But things that will stay the same: we’ve always had a music contest. We bring in talent and they get voted on and judged. This year Chris Kroeze is going to judge them,” said Sue Emmerich from the Chamber.
Two years ago, Parkfest started giving out backpacks filled with school supplies to children in attendance. They have 500 backpacks to give away this year on a first come, first serve basis. Another event taking place is Heroes Among Us. “This is where the Medford Cooperative, they honor people who have given back to the community in various ways, all different walks of life.
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They will be doing that on stage before the concert,” said Emmerich.
Weather Shield will also have its Glow Run at 5 p.m. which includes a 5K run/walk and 1K kids fun run. For the 5K, there is a $25 pre-registration fee or a $30 day-of fee. The kids’ 1K has a $10 registration fee. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Medford Police Department K9 Unit. Interested participants can contact April Moore at 715-748-2100, extension 3406, or april. moore@weathershield.com to pre-register.
One of the new changes to Parkfest is the addition of a food alley. They used to have a tailgate contest to help serve food, but this year they are bringing in a number of restaurants to serve food at the park for people attending. The restaurants and vendors that’ll be in food alley include Cravings, El Pueblito’s Mexican Kitchen, the Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis, Marilyn’s Fire Station, Tailored Nutrition, Uncommon Ground, and Huey’s Hideaway. Emmerich explained that some of the restaurants are even closing that day to be at Parkfest.
The Chamber is looking forward to Parkfest as it’ll be a fun community event. “It’s an opportunity to go, enjoy some food, get a backpack, and listen to free music,” said Emmerich. The Chamber encourages attendees to utilize the shuttle buses that they’ll have available to help keep the park area less congested. The buses will be located at their two designated parking lots which are at the high school and at City Hall.
