Published: September 26, 2009 12:09 am      

Your input matters to help future of Riverboat Days

If you read yesterday’s front page article about the future of Clinton’s Riverboat Days, we hope you have been inspired to action.

Here’s why: The Riverboat Days Committee is looking ahead to 2010’s celebration with trepidation, unsure of what to do to create a festival that draws support from the community.

That support comes down to one word: Attendance.

The 2009 festival, they say, had very low attendance. There was some rain that dampened the days, but their questions go beyond that.

The committee wants to know what people want at their RBD.

What has to be offered for people to turn out?

Riverboat Days has a 48-year history, and each generation has its own memories of the festival. Are yours from the early festivals, before there was a levee? Do you remember watching acts such as Sawyer Brown, Louise Mandrell or Brian White?

Do your memories hearken back to mud volleyball tournaments, rodeos, car shows, circus tent acts and pedal pulls?

Maybe it was a noteworthy fireworks show at the festival, or eating at one of the food stands.

Whatever it is you like, want to keep, want to change — those in charge want to listen.

One of their worst fears is not getting any feedback to use as they decide the future of the celebration, what shape it should take or when it should happen. The big one — should it happen at all?

These are very real questions.

After all, several of our city’s smaller festivals now only are a memory or have scaled back considerably: Art in the Park, Balloons in June and Corn on the Corner to name a couple that come to mind.

The organizers don’t want the same final fate to happen to RBD.

So here’s your chance.

You can go to riverboatdays.org and go to the Leave Feeback area to post a comment online. You can send an e-mail to info@riverboatdays.org or you can send a note to Riverboat Days at Box 241, Clinton IA, 52732.

Trust us, they are waiting.