After year off due to COVID, O’Fallon City Fest returns to ‘celebrate the community’
After hitting pause last summer, the third annual City Fest returns to the O’Fallon Community Park with food, live music, games, rides, refreshments and fun Friday, Aug. 20, and Saturday, Aug. 21.
Hours are from 4-10 p.m. Aug. 20 and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 21.
“O’Fallon City Fest is back this year! We are so excited to host this wonderful event for our community,” a statement said on the group’s Facebook page. “It’s a good way to get the town together and have a great weekend for the whole family.’
Two events will be featured Aug. 21 — the Sonny Sterthman Memorial Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the O’Town Hustle Super Sprint Triathlon sponsored by Bike Surgeon that begins at 8 a.m., followed by a breakfast.
There will also be a “Quiet Hour” for those with special needs from 1-2 p.m. to play games, ride the rides and enjoy local food. This is for those who may not like the loud music and the bright lights, but still want to participate in all the fun of a town picnic.
The popular parade will kick off at 5 p.m. Aug. 21 on Lincoln Avenue and march down to Seventh Street and the park entrance. The theme this year is “Through the Decades.”
Sixty units are anticipated, including the president of the Rose Bowl Parade. The O’Fallon Township High School band was selected for the New Year’s Day 2022 Rose Bowl Parade.
The City Fest, a traditional homecoming event, returned in 2018, one of Mayor Herb Roach’s goals he set during his campaign in 2017.
“City Fest was started to help bring our community together in a united public celebration where the entire city could come together and enjoy themselves,” Roach said.
There is also a fund-raising component for local organizations.
“This festival has been established to give many of our not-for-profits, school programs, churches and local businesses an opportunity to raise funds for their causes,” Roach said.
The committee was eager to return to planning the event after a year off.
“The committee has been working on this steadily since last year’s festivities had to be cancelled due the COVID restrictions that were in place at that time,” he said. “Our biggest challenge is to make sure that we have a safe and enjoyable environment for all.”
To that end, as for coronavirus pandemic concerns, the committee has safety protocols in place, Roach said.
“The committee has taken many precautions to make sure that you will have a safe and enjoyable time with family and friends. This includes additional restrooms, hand-washing stations, additional lighting and more,” he said. “We definitely will not have the crowds that they had recently in Chicago or what will be at the Springfield State Fair starting later this week.
“All of our activities are outside and people are always encouraged to take any precautions that they feel is right for their family.”
The mayor explained the extra precautions that they are putting to place for the festival.
“These include, but are not limited to extra restroom facilities; spreading out stands and activities; hand washing stations; doubling the waste disposable receptacles and more,” he said.
Thanks to sponsors, football team
Roach also thanked the sponsors for their generosity.
“We will have signs and advertisements to let people know who has helped to make this festival possible. But I want to give a shout out to the Bank of O’Fallon for being the major City Fest sponsor and to Waste Management for being the parade sponsor,” he said.
Football players from the OTHS team helped refinish picnic tables over the weekend in the community park in preparation for City Fest, Roach said.
Parade Volunteers
Volunteers are still needed.
“If you have two hours to give toward this community activity, please e-mail Ofallonilcityfest@gmail.com and put ‘Volunteer’ in the subject line to sign up. Your help is appreciated,” Roach said.
Anyone ages 12 and up can volunteer to hold signs, direct the parade, and keep the route clear of crowds. Volunteers are needed from 4-6 p.m. Aug. 21. Fill out a volunteer form at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040849a4a62aa7f94-city or email: OFallonILCityfest@gmail.com to volunteer.
There will be a Volunteer Orientation Open House from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, at Katy Cavins Community Center for volunteers to pick up their T-shirts and orientation information.
Here are additional volunteer opportunities:
- To sell tickets or check IDs, click or visit here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040849A4A62AA7F94-city1.
- To sell t-shirts, click or visit here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040849A4A62AA7F94-city2.
- To help with the parade, click or visit here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040849A4A62AA7F94-city.
“We are fortunate to have a good committee that has pretty much been together since we started City Fest in 2018,” Roach said. “We are so very fortunate to have our committee that works all year long on City Fest, our great sponsors and our volunteers. It is truly a community activity that is held for the benefit of bringing our community together and helping some of our churches, schools and not-for-profits raise funds for their community activities.”
O’Town Hustle Super Sprint Triathlon
This triathlon includes a 150-meter swim, 10-mile bike ride and 2-mile run, starting at 8 a.m. Aug. 21 at the O’Fallon Community Park.
The 3rd Annual O’Town Hustle Super Sprint Triathlon is sponsored by North Bay Produce and hosted by Bike Surgeon in collaboration with the Jennifer Mueller Memorial Foundation and RaceMaker Productions.
“This one’s for everyone. A time trial start kicks it all off with a swim in the O’Fallon Community Pool for a fun and safe start. Then, race your bike through the beautiful rolling hills north of O’Fallon on your way to a fun, fast and flat run,” said Jon Greenstreet, owner of Bike Surgeon.
Post-race breakfast
New for this year will be an after-race pancake and fresh fruit breakfast feast at the finish line.
Gary and Cathy Mueller, the former proprietors of the O’Fallon Egg-and-I and founders of the Jennifer Mueller Memorial foundation, will be on hand with their race day pancakes and tons of fresh berries, fruit and toppings provided by event sponsor North Bay Produce, Greenstreet said.
“All race participants get in on the breakfast extravaganza and family and friends can get in on the goodness too — with a breakfast only registration,” he said.
A portion of the proceeds from each race registration and all proceeds from the breakfast registrations will go directly to the Jennifer Mueller Memorial Foundation Fund operated by the Muellers in memoriam of their daughter, Jenn, who passed from cancer in 2018.
All racers also get an O’Town Hustle race T-shirt, and the first 250 to register get a 2021 O’Town Hustle finisher medal, Greenstreet said.
Registration is open with individual and team options and a food only options for family and friends who come along. Visit or click on https://runsignup.com/.../OTownHustleSuperSprintTriathlon.
Tethered Balloon Rides, Sonny Sterthman
People can take a tethered ride in the RE/MAX Balloon at the event. This helps raise money for the O’Fallon Fire Department.
Elmer “Sonny” Sterthman, died May 5, 2020 at age 83. The O’Fallon resident ran the Mayfest car shows for 25 years and helped many more community car shows. He was part of numerous organizations, including the Oldsmobile Club of America and the Studebaker Drivers Club.
For more information, visit City Fest’s Facebook page or email:ofallonilcityfest@gmail.com
This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 2:31 PM.