The mother of all weekends for family activity in Fremont
has to be John C. Fremont Days, which is held each year during the second
weekend of July. There is something for everyone: Hot-air balloon displays,
tree climbing, musical performances, martial arts exhibitions, 4-H parade,
rodeo and sport competitions, just as a few examples.
Community celebrations are a wonderful way to have some fun
and enjoyment.
Fremont City Park was filled with red and white striped
tents and crowded picnic tables. Filling the air were the aromas of cotton
candy, corn dogs and other fried goodies. Wherever there was shade, you could
find people standing or sitting trying to escape the heat of the afternoon sun.
Music filled the quiet moments between conversations of friends and family. It
is summertime in the Midwest.
Since the celebration was in Fremont, none of our $50 budget
needed to go for gasoline.
But how far could we stretch this $50 over the length of the
celebration? Cotton candy would set you back $3. If shared by all four people
one bag is enough. Dippin Dots ice creams cups cost $7 for two smalls or $5.50
for a large to be shared.
When lunchtime hit we needed some sandwiches: Two Philly
steak cheese sandwiches, $12, for the adults and two corn dogs for the kids,
$8. Oh and yes, we needed drinks. Two lemonades cost $5 each and two soft
drinks cost $2 each. This left us
$7.50.
“I like being able to see my friends,” said 11-year-old
Bailey Garretson of Hooper. “John C. Fremont Days brings them all to town.”
One of the most popular things for those friends was LaRue’s
Little Horse Pony Ride. Two of those took us slightly over our $50 budget.
But that doesn’t mean the fun was over. The parade was free,
as well as hanging out with hot air balloons and listening to music. A great
activity was just finding a shady spot to watch the hoards of people stroll by.
A walk along many of the downtown streets to look at all the cars in the auto
show was a great way to spend an hour or two.
Riley Yarber, 10, of Fremont and his friend Nathan Guerrez,
9, enjoyed the chance to play with their creative marsh mellow ($3) and rubber
band ($2) guns. “These are cool things to play with,” they responded.
When asked about keeping a budget, Riley said with a smile
that it was hard to do that with his mom when they walked by all the shops
selling rings.
Angel Cutts, 10, of Fremont enjoyed the inflatable gym, the
face painting, games and all the cool stuff.
Her grandmother Linda Cutts added, “ it’s a tradition for us
to attend John C. Fremont Days - and a way to show our support for the
community. Plus, I get to have fun
with my grandchildren.”
How do you put a dollar value on having fun with the
grandchildren?
Keep those suggestions coming by sending them to Dean Jacobs
at [email protected]
Next week a special column will appear as I venture out into
the wilds of Iowa for RAGBRI.
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