Growth the name of the Summerfest game
12-year-old Darby Standing, left, and 13-year-old Alexia Meyer ride the ferris wheel at Orem Summerfest Friday, June 13, 2008. Saturday's events for Summerfest include a 5K run, baby contest, and fireworks show at 10 p.m.
Dancers from the School of Performing Arts perform at City Center Park in Orem on Friday, June 13, 2014. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald
For many years, Orem Summerfest has signaled the start of summer for Orem residents with a celebration in City Center Park — which meant a packed park, lots of traffic in the area and people walking for blocks and blocks and blocks from the nearest available parking.
This year that’s changing.
“We’ve outgrown the park,” said Teresa Horn, Summerfest chairwoman.
This year, Summerfest will be split between City Center Park, at 200 E. 100 North; Scera Park, at 600 S. State St.; and Orem High School, which is between the two parks, at 175 S. 400 East.
“We have made it a little bit bigger, so we have moved to the Scera Park,” Horn said. “We added a business showcase that’s new this year. Businesses always wanted to be part of Summerfest, but we didn’t have room. We’ll have over 50 businesses in the park this year.”
Scera Park will host the business showcase, kids crafts, military vehicle showcase, car show, kids games, food trucks and water ride.
City Center Park will have the boutique, entertainment, carnival, food booths, city booths, pancake breakfast and fireworks.
Orem High School’s got the Jimmer All-Together Shootout fundraiser for the All-Together Playground and the Baby Contest.
Besides adding more venues, Summerfest organizers added more days this year. In the past, it’s been a two-day event, but this year has events from June 7-11.
There will be a National Day of Prayer event on June 7, Stories in the Park on June 8, and the carnival starts on the evening of June 9. Events start at noon Friday at both parks, and Saturday is full of fun at the parks, with the parade and fireworks Saturday night.
Horn said she loves Summerfest because it involves families and community.
“You can take your kids,” she said. “Orem really tries to involve the community as far as local entertainment and giving time on the stage. And now we’ve made adjustments to incorporate businesses.”
For more information about Summerfest go to summerfest.orem.org.