Planning meeting for ‘22 event unveils plans for Extravaganza

Last summer, staff, sponsors and volunteers for Enders Lake Recreation Area held the first extravaganza event to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of state parks.
The event was such a huge success, it was decided to continue holding a yearly extravaganza, but this takes a lot of planning, sponsors and volunteers to make it happen.
Dayna Scherbarth, event coordinator and park employee, and Beau Licking, Enders Superintendent, were on hand last Wednesday evening at MorningStar Cafe for a community meeting to recap last year’s event and discuss the upcoming 2022 Extravaganza planned for June 25.
“Last summer, the event saw 1,500 to 2,000 people in attendance here—one of the top two highest attendances in the state for the 100th anniversary,” said Licking.
“We raised $18,000 toward the event with $400 from the 5K run that was donated to brain cancer research,” Scherbarth said.
The 2022 5K run proceeds will be donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation in honor of his work with military personnel, veterans, first responders and wounded warriors, she said.
Scherbarth showed an informative video about the work that is done by Gary Sinise and the benefits the foundation provides.
Other topics discussed at the meeting covered changing the location of the various events to the area “A” campground, promoting participation of more sponsors and encouraging more volunteers to help.
“We want to have all vendors in a more centralized location so people can use less steps to move around the various activities,” Licking said.
“We also want all the food vendors and the smoker participants closer together so everything can be within a shorter walking distance—plus the aroma of the food will bring people together,” said Scherbarth.
A rough event summary for 2022 will include many of last summer’s activities.
There will be the Game and Parks activity trailer, kayaking, the 5K run, a truck and tractor show for local ranchers, farmers and truckers, a craft show highlighting local artists, a demonstration of Dutch oven cooking, blacksmithing, a petting zoo and music throughout the event provided by Night Sounds DJ, just to name a few.
“We are working on getting some quality musical entertainment for a concert that evening,” Scherbarth said.
She said the stage will be moved to the center of the event activities.
“The highly successful smoke-off competition will be moved to a more central location, as well, for onlookers to more readily observe the cooking skills of the contestants,” she added.
Entry fee for smoke-off contestants will be $100 and will include an electrical site.
Competition will involve preparation of brisket, pork butt, a mystery meat and desserts.
“First place cash prize will be $500 and grand reserve $250,” she said.
Further goals are to be better organized with more volunteers , more visible advertising of sponsors in more locations around the event, easier accessibility for contacting park staff and a much better event brochure design, Scherbarth said.
“We’re going to need more donations to cover expenses, and our total goal we would like to raise is $30,000,” she said.
A new program staff is working on, along with recognition of military, veterans and all first responders, is “veterinarians of valor” which will bring attention to service animals, as well.
More activities
Scherbarth said they want to encourage people to get involved with next summer’s extravaganza to make it a success.
Between now and then, Enders park staff will be putting on various other events which will include a trail ride for one.
“We want to get people to come out to the park area to enjoy all we have to offer,” she said.
There will be another 2022 extravaganza community meeting scheduled after the first of the year.