Saturday's Downtown "Block Party"
Suffered in Attendance

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

"Awesome" is the only way you could describe the talent that was on the downtown square, Saturday, for an event that was poorly attended by local people and even members of the City Council, County Officials, and others. "Who planned this great entertainment for a time that everyone was out of town?" questioned one of the few people who came downtown to hear "The Volunteers" on Saturday. "We've got our U.S. Military Band presenting a show of the finest quality, and no one down here to hear them! This is an embarrassment to Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County!"

What was termed as a downtown "block party" had hardly anyone in attendance and resulted in awesome music being presented, but nobody hearing the great talent.

"Anyone planning an event, downtown Sulphur Springs, on the weekend of Texas-OU, in Dallas, an open football game weekend, the first beautiful weather we've had in weeks, and both the State Fair of Texas and the Winnsboro Autumn Trails, going on in neighboring Winnsboro, was asking for a poorly attended event," commented another Saturday participant.

 

 

"This event was only advertised for the last couple of weeks," declared one downtown merchant, who had just recently learned that their customer parking was going to be "blocked off" for most of the day, Saturday. "This is a perfect example of how we bring great events to the area, but fail to do the necessary promotion and planning to make the event a success!"

 

 

"This is a group representing our country's military," bemoaned another attendee to Saturday's show. "It's a shame to have a talented group of performers and those who planned this event, not to do the 'leg work' to make certain there is a crowd to hear them!"

"When are we ever going to learn that during the month of October, neighboring Winnsboro is having a month-long string of events, that have been in place for decades," advised another local resident. "We need our tourism department and anyone that is planning an event in Hopkins County to be down there, seeing what the time of their events are, so we can plan events that will compliment them. Thousands of people from all across Texas come to Autumn Trails and Winnsboro doesn't have a single motel. If we'd use our 'noggins,' we'd work with them to plan events at night and when they aren't having something, so all those people would book rooms in our motels and eat at our restaurants!"

 

 

 

 

Saturday's show was termed both an "embarrassment" and "a failure," and it certainly wasn't the fault of the great performers, who brought one of the most remarkably talented shows to Hopkins County, that we've seen in a long, long time. Let's learn our lesson and make certain that the next time that we have an opportunity for such talent, that we use our promotional skills and check the calendar of events, to make certain that we'll have someone in Hopkins County to attend, the event!

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