Frankfort Main Street Director Kim Stevens estimates the Hot Dog Festival drew more than 30,000 cumulative attendees over Friday and Saturday, making it the event’s “best-attended year on record.”
Weather cooperated beautifully with Saturday’s high temperature peaking at 73 degrees, according to KLAF airport in Lafayette. The coldest high ever recorded in Frankfort since 1914 for July 25 was 69°F, set in 2004. Stevens based the 30,000 + figure on head counts taken in front of Pepe’s, estimates from the Frankfort Police Department, and comparisons with past years’ turnout. As is typical with cumulative counts of this kind, the total may include repeat visitors who attended both days and were counted separately each time.
Frankfort Community Development Director Kimberly Black, speaking on WILO’s “Party Line” program, said mild weather, a full slate of downtown activities and the absence of ongoing State Road 28 construction helped draw large crowds, including many visitors from outside Clinton County.
“I’m hoping all of our merchants and small businesses across Frankfort were able to participate at some point in the festival and be able to reach some of the benefits and economic development strategies that we use to bring people into the city of Frankfort,” Black said.
The festival’s success comes as the city simultaneously kicks off a community survey tied to a new comprehensive plan, while also addressing recent vandalism at the city’s park system.
Record Crowds, Creative Menus Highlight Festival Weekend
Black estimated the Saturday evening concert at Prairie Creek Park alone drew close to 5,000 people, based on her own count of the crowd in sections. Vendors offered unconventional hot dog creations, including a breakfast dog topped with eggs and honey, a “hot popper” dog on a croissant, a Mexican street corn dog and a pulled-pork-and-coleslaw dog from Nickel and Rye.
Cindy Loveless, Party Line Co-host and Main Street Board Member, said she polled attendees throughout the weekend and found many had traveled from Indianapolis and Noblesville, drawn in part by the festival’s low cost compared with larger metro-area events. Kim Stevens, Main Street Executive Director, reflected on the success of this years festival and attributed credit to hard working volunteers and partnerships who make the event possible. Key partnerships include the City, County, Police, Parks Department, Fire, Street Department and funding partners. “I have contact with other festivals that do not have this kind of co-operation.” Stevens said support and partnerships she experienced for the Hot Dog Festival are outstanding compared some other festivals in the state.
Black said a real attraction to the Hot Dog Festival was the cost, “because for them to go to a festival in Indy [or] Noblesville, they have to pay for parking and admission,” Black said. “Whereas you don’t have to pay to park here. … This is like the best deal going.”
The festival’s hot dog eating contest was won by a Canadian visitor who consumed 48 hot dogs in ten minutes, Black said.
Comprehensive Plan Survey Now Open to Public
The city, working with consulting firm American Structurepoint, launched a community survey at the festival as part of its effort to develop a new comprehensive plan — a long-range goal-setting document Black compared to the city’s downtown revitalization plan.
A link to the survey is at the end of this article below.
“This document will be something that’s passed [between] this administration, the next administration … and be able to say, this is what our community has asked for,” Black said.
The survey is open to anyone who lives, works or visits Frankfort, not just city residents, and is available online through the building services page of the city’s website. Black said the city aims to collect responses through the Frankfort Raices (roots) Festival in early September, with survey stations set up at upcoming summer concerts. Responses are anonymous.
A steering committee including representatives from local schools, the library, Center Township and city utilities will help shape the plan once survey data is compiled, Black said, adding that funding will likely come largely from grants rather than the city budget.
Recent Vandalism Frustrates Parks Department
Black also addressed recent vandalism at city parks, including damage to newly completed fencing installed by Crawford Family Fencing. She said the parks department has since repaired basketball courts damaged in the incident, and that surveillance cameras, while present at most parks, have had limited success identifying suspects.
“It’s a little disheartening to see when we want to put a project [in] and better our community and better an area in our park system … that we can even complete a project before something like this happens,” Black said. She said the Frankfort Police Department is investigating.
Other City News
Black also announced the city’s Sparkling Success leadership luncheon returns Aug. 19 at the Neighborhood Center with a speaker from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The event costs $25 per person, with proceeds covering meal costs; RSVPs are due to the mayor’s office by Aug. 12. Separately, the parks department is hiring a part-time custodian to help maintain park facilities and shelters for community events and rentals.
City of Frankfort is looking for your input to help create the next Frankfort Comprehensive Plan and Safety Action Plan. Verbiage from the City of Frankfort Facebook page follows:
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Your input matters! Help shape the future of the City of Frankfort by completing the Comprehensive Plan and Comprehensive Safety Action Plan survey. The survey seeks your feedback on important topics that will guide future decisions and investments, including:
• Future Land Use
• Housing
• Transportation & Safety
• Economic Development
• Parks & Recreation
• Public Services
• Historic Resources
• Natural Resources
• Community Priorities
Whether you live, work, own a business, or regularly visit Frankfort, your voice is important. Your feedback will help establish priorities and recommendations that will guide the City’s future growth, development, and transportation safety improvements.
Take the survey today and help shape the future of Frankfort!
English:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FrankfortComprehensivePlan
Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EspanolFrankfortComprehensivePlan
