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Community Corner

Thoughts Turn to PrairieFest as Oswego Digs out From Massive Snow

Set for Father's Day weekend, planning for the village's biggest annual event is already well under way.

In the midst of the big dig out, our phones are ringing with questions. Go figure!

Maybe people just want to take their minds to a warmer place. Perhaps they are looking for an excuse to stall shoveling the ice mountain at the end of the driveway, again. Whatever the reason, people are calling with questions, and one of the most frequently asked is ‘What’s the PrairieFest theme this year?’ The answer - Small Town. Big Life.

We didn’t arrive at that lightly. There is so much about this area that still exemplifies the small town. We run into neighbors at the . We see friends at the . We brush carts with someone from church at the grocery store. And even if we don’t know them, we live in a village where we greet strangers with ‘Hi!  How are you?’  and we help our neighbors shovel.

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While the kind, thoughtful gestures during our daily lives are small, it makes us companions in this community. That warmth translates to big numbers when called upon to throw our annual summer party. Almost every organization and business participates in the Fest in some way.

Community groups plan events and fundraisers. Businesses offer sponsorships so that not only can we have a four-day celebration, but families can walk in for free. The businesses that we call our gathering spots all year long greet us on the festival grounds.

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We are now over 30,000 strong, and when we come together to celebrate in June, we go big. Those same people who meet up on the soccer fields and on main street come out to PrairieFest to connect again. We march in the parade and listen to the bands. We buy food on sticks and laugh at the Bucket Brigade teams. Our lives are big on PrairieFest weekend.

We may be people from a small town, but we live a big life here in Oswego. Our population grows, but the closeness of our community is still rooted in what defines a small town.  We are still a town of friends.

 If you would like to plan a PrairieFest event   or become a business sponsor, contact Margaret Gienger at mgienger@oswegolandpd.org or 630.554.4431.

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