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Independence, MO —
What a difference a day makes.
While the steady rains of Friday continued for most of Saturday, the weather cleared up by 5 p.m., allowing the 40th annual Santa-Cali-Gon Days on the Square to continue as scheduled, including the performance of three Main Stage acts.
And, by Sunday, hardly a cloud was in sight, with temperatures in the upper 80s and a bright, shining sun. The crowds were in full swing mid-Sunday afternoon, browsing the craft vendor tents, testing their skills for a prize at one of the amusement games and standing in line for the popular Dr. J. Fogworth’s Root Beer and kettle corn vendors near Maple Avenue and Main Street.
But Marcus Gardner, residential account executive for Comcast, was one of the most popular people on the Square, along Lexington Avenue near Courthouse Exchange. By 4 p.m. Sunday, Gardner said he had handed out an estimated 10,000 red fans advertising the company’s XFINITY. Passersby usually took several to keep themselves and their loved ones cooled off from the heat.
“I’m Mr. Popular now,” Gardner said, smiling. “I’m sought out now.”
While Gardner, of Raytown, had heard about Santa-Cali-Gon Days from his children, this was his first year attending. He’s been an employee of Comcast for about five months, and on Monday, he planned to check out the festival for fun, since he wasn’t working at the Comcast tent.
All throughout the Square, people could be seen, fanning themselves with the red piece of paper attached to a large Popsicle stick. Children’s Mercy Hospitals also distributed hand fans.
“We couldn’t give them away (Saturday),” he said, laughing, of the fans lack of popularity because of the prior day’s rain. “(Sunday), it’s been a fan fest, so to speak. I think it’s great advertising.”
Sunday also marked a dream-come-true for Independence native/singer-songwriter Mike Hillen, who performed many of his songs on the Community Stage, including “Independence.” His good friends Julie Tidwell, Angela Kearney and Bill Wilson were among the audience members in the stands as Hillen and his brother, Bill, took the stage.
“I am so thrilled. This is a dream for him that came true,” Tidwell said. “I just want to hear his music out, ‘cause I’ve heard all 300 songs. I’m his biggest fan.”
This marked the second year of volunteering at Santa-Cali-Gon Days for Chuck Rodgers, president of the South Independence Evening Optimist Club, but the well-known Optidogs have had a presence at Santa-Cali-Gon Days for more than 30 years.
What a difference a day makes.
While the steady rains of Friday continued for most of Saturday, the weather cleared up by 5 p.m., allowing the 40th annual Santa-Cali-Gon Days on the Square to continue as scheduled, including the performance of three Main Stage acts.
And, by Sunday, hardly a cloud was in sight, with temperatures in the upper 80s and a bright, shining sun. The crowds were in full swing mid-Sunday afternoon, browsing the craft vendor tents, testing their skills for a prize at one of the amusement games and standing in line for the popular Dr. J. Fogworth’s Root Beer and kettle corn vendors near Maple Avenue and Main Street.
But Marcus Gardner, residential account executive for Comcast, was one of the most popular people on the Square, along Lexington Avenue near Courthouse Exchange. By 4 p.m. Sunday, Gardner said he had handed out an estimated 10,000 red fans advertising the company’s XFINITY. Passersby usually took several to keep themselves and their loved ones cooled off from the heat.
“I’m Mr. Popular now,” Gardner said, smiling. “I’m sought out now.”
While Gardner, of Raytown, had heard about Santa-Cali-Gon Days from his children, this was his first year attending. He’s been an employee of Comcast for about five months, and on Monday, he planned to check out the festival for fun, since he wasn’t working at the Comcast tent.
All throughout the Square, people could be seen, fanning themselves with the red piece of paper attached to a large Popsicle stick. Children’s Mercy Hospitals also distributed hand fans.
“We couldn’t give them away (Saturday),” he said, laughing, of the fans lack of popularity because of the prior day’s rain. “(Sunday), it’s been a fan fest, so to speak. I think it’s great advertising.”
Sunday also marked a dream-come-true for Independence native/singer-songwriter Mike Hillen, who performed many of his songs on the Community Stage, including “Independence.” His good friends Julie Tidwell, Angela Kearney and Bill Wilson were among the audience members in the stands as Hillen and his brother, Bill, took the stage.
“I am so thrilled. This is a dream for him that came true,” Tidwell said. “I just want to hear his music out, ‘cause I’ve heard all 300 songs. I’m his biggest fan.”
This marked the second year of volunteering at Santa-Cali-Gon Days for Chuck Rodgers, president of the South Independence Evening Optimist Club, but the well-known Optidogs have had a presence at Santa-Cali-Gon Days for more than 30 years.
The change in weather from Friday to Sunday definitely affected the sales of the Optidogs, Rodgers said. The club sold 120 hot dogs in total Friday, before the festival was closed 5 1/2 hours early at 5:30 p.m.
During the rainy weather Saturday, about 50 hot dogs were sold, but when the skies cleared up early in the evening, “I think we went through 11 cases of dogs, from 4 o’clock to 11 o’clock,” Rodgers said. “It was a pretty good mad rush for four or five hours, which helped us quite a bit.”
The Optidogs bring out repeat annual customers, Rodgers said. One man, on Saturday and Sunday, bought about 10 dogs in total, Rodgers said.
“That’s all they talk about,” he said. “I talked to a couple of Independence’s finest (Sunday), the officers, and that’s all they talk about.”
At least one first-timer at this year’s Santa-Cali-Gon plans to come back for more in the future. Even with the rain, the first year’s experience was good enough for Gardner.
“I am definitely going to work the booth next year,” he said. “I am having a blast.”
