Clear skies and large crowds prevail as Dover Canal Days 2011 kicks off summer in downtown Dover
By Jennifer Kneuss
May 30, 2011
341
Summary:
The 2011 Canal Dover Festival kicked off summer with beautiful, sunny skies and large crowds. Festival chairman Jeff Border deemed the weekend a big success.
It takes many, many volunteers, as well as great community support, to make the Canal Dover Days Festival, held each Memorial Day weekend for the past 30 years, an ongoing success.
Weve got the Dover High School band playing right now, and this afternoon well have the dance studios onstage, noted Dover Exchange Club member and festival volunteer Alan Page as he, along with hundreds of others, filled the Dover Square on Saturday, May 28 to listen to the marching bands concert. Today was pretty good. Last night we had a little rain, but the rest of the weekend looks good! We get a couple of thousand people out here. Ive been helping out here for nine years.
I didnt even get to the plate auction, because I was busy somewhere else on the festival grounds, admitted volunteer Eric Bouer as he sat down with Page for a much deserved rest. Ive been busy with the festival for twelve years.
Its got to be close to 15 years that Ive been helping out here, said volunteer Terry Auman. How many people? Pretty many. We had a lot out for the parade, and many are out here now.
Back at the Dover Exchange Club booth, volunteer Terry Auman was busy selling copies of the 2011 Canal Dover Festival plate and other memorabilia, including rubber wristbands whose sale proceeds go to support Veterans Honor Flights to Washington, DC.
Its got to be close to 15 years that Ive been helping out here, he said. As usual, we had a lot of people out here for the parade, and the midway is pretty full.
The weekends varied entertainment is always a definite a crowd pleaser.
Im going to dance to Tea Party. And Im going to dance to My Boyfriends Back and Little Mama, too, chatted tiny dancer Madison Mason, as she posed in her black and pink dance costume. I have five different dances today, and five different costumes, but I cant remember what they all are right now, she admitted, grinning as she twirled about. The eight year old, along with her two younger sisters McKenzie and Ellie, were preparing to perform with Backstage Studio. The performances of the young dancers from various studios are a big draw for the festival.
The festivals plate auction, which always kicks off the festivities on the first night of the festival, was again well attended, with the number one plate purchased by Bill Zeigler of Midvale for $1,150.
Bill has purchased our #1 plate for probably at least the last 15 years, commented volunteer festival chairman Jeff Border. He has been a huge supporter. Bob Smith of Smith Ambulance once again took home the second plate with a bid of $400.
The third plate went to Dave Beans of Beans Electric, who consistently is in the top 3 bidders each year, and likewise, regular bidder Bob Feutz paid $100 for the 4th official Canal Dover Festival plate.
We auctioned off 17 plates, for a total of $2,650, noted Border. I would say that is about average for us. With the economy the way it is, we are certainly grateful for such wonderful support.
Other than for about 5 minutes of rain Friday night, the weather was gorgeous. The Canal Dover event is always the opening festival of the season, and our plate auction brings out lots of people. They like our programs and what we do for the community, and so they like to donate back.
Theres some pretty good natured ribbing going on during the entire auction, admitted Border.
The 2011 Canal Dover Festival concluded Sunday evening.
