FeedsCommissioners finalize Wheelfest preparations
The KISS Army is on the march.
This year they’ll be joined by plenty of Parrotheads and the sounds of Motown.
That can only mean one thing: Wheelfest is heading back to the City of Wayne.
“We’re starting to get a lot of calls about it,” said Jeff Rutter, assistant director of the Wayne Parks and Recreation Depart-ment. “Everyone is thinking about Wheelfest.”
The Wheelfest Commission met last week to finalize some of the details about the annual community festival as well as to prepare for a new member. The group of residents meet year-round to plan the popular event and the first question everyone wants answered is: who’s coming to play?
“It’s what really separates us from festivals in other communities,” said Wheelfest Commissioner Nancy Lambert. “We’ve got good entertainment.”
In the past that as included national headliners like Mitch Ryder, but this year the commission has had to follow the recent trend spawned by budget cuts several years ago: concentrating on the name recognition while reducing the price.
Hence this year will be another ‘tribute’ year, with musicians giving send ups to popular performers like Jimmy Buffett, miscellaneous Motown tunes and the heavy metal band KISS.
The KISS Army will headline the Saturday night concert, while Parrotz of the Carribean will close out the festival on Thursday. The Spyder Turner Show—the Motown tribute—takes place on Friday night and the Wayne Theater Group will showcase their talents on Sunday. Wheelfest takes place from Aug. 24-27 in Goudy Park.
The event also features other entertainment, such as classic car shows, a pet contest as well as a parade and booths set up by community organizations.
“It brings the community together and it gives all the service groups a chance to show what they do all year long,” Rutter said.
Putting together the festival can be a task and so can running it—but the commissioners don’t mind.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s a good challenge,” said Lambert.
