Ten years. Ten years of coaxing people to serve as emcees. Ten years of lining up sponsors. Ten years of finding vendors, assign- ing spots, collecting fees, check- ing insurance coverage. Ten years of spreading the word through ads, public service announcements, web postings, posters and printed schedules. Ten years of raising tents, setting up the stage and microphones and speakers and on and on and on. Hundreds of listeners enjoyed the Boulder Area Chamber of Commerce Music and Arts Festival over the weekend thanks to ten years of dedication by many, many unsung volunteers. It is easy for the audience to see the work of a very few folks on the day of the festival, but it is also easy to miss the work that went into making the day a success.
The musicians on the stage are rewarded with applause and the head of booking the performers, Dusty Farnum, often hears words of praise from the stage. But so many others go without recognition. Few take the time when buying a burger or brat to find out who arranged for that food, did early preparations, made sure the beverage service trailer was there, and, did even more behind the scenes, such as assuring that health regulations were met.
Few take the time when picking up a printed schedule to ask who made sure those schedules were ordered and ready. Few take the time to learn who will pick up those discarded flyers and other trash when the festival is over. Trying to name all of the folks it took to make the festival happen would be an exercise in futility, sure to hurt someone’s feelings. And most of the people involved in that work do not expect to be noticed. They do it because they want to help the community. They hope things go so smoothly that no one gives a second thought to what made that happen. Surely all the applause for the performers is merited. They have worked a long time to hone their talents for the rest of the world to enjoy. And surely all the shout outs to Farnum are hard-earned. He works very hard to line up the acts, set up the sound system, adjust levels and much more.
Two folks who get little attention during the festival itself, though, deserve to be named and roundly thanked. From the very beginning, Dick and Linda Norden have toiled in support of the festival. They have led the organizing committee. They have rounded up sponsors. They have cooked burgers and brats, and seen to so many details, almost all behind the scenes.
With the help of dozens of others who also go largely unnoticed during the festival, the Nordens have enabled the community of Boulder to come together for a glorious weekend each Septem- ber for the last ten years.
They have also helped Boulder see what can come of dedicated, patient work in the service of the community. When the festival started, there was far less support than this year. Some local businesses hesitated to get involved. Some folks complained that it only seemed like a party for local folks, bringing in few outsiders to spend money in Boulder.
That has changed. It has taken time, but the festival is assuredly a positive for Boulder and should be a source of pride. And that pride should extend to the many, many hard-working folks who have made it happen. They all deserve the gratitude of the community.
