Hundreds Attend Annual Community Celebration

A warm Saturday morning which turned into a warm Saturday afternoon did not deter the hundreds of Rosemont residents who attended .

The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at , had something for everybody including food and pony rides.

“This started three years ago with the 50th anniversary of the community association,” said Rosemont Community Association President Doug Haaland. “We decided having been around for 50 years was quite an accomplishment and the community was so responsive to that celebration, the board thought, ‘Well OK, we’ll do it and we’ll see.’ And so we tried it again last year and got a good response and we’ve just been keeping it going.”

He added that board members have really worked hard to maintain the energy that was started three years ago.

“I think the board takes a one month breather and then it’s back on the agenda in October. We start building  for the next year’s celebration making sure the folks who participated thought it was worthwhile and asking them to be sure to be around for next year,” he said. “We also start reaching out to the new folks. The addition of the pony ride seems to be a very popular addition with the families here. So it’s finding out what works and finding out what doesn’t work and making the changes that we need to make and keep it growing.”

For those attending the event, there wasn’t any shortage of vendor booths offering services or activities. Many, like Fitness for Life and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District offered games featuring roulette-type wheels which were spun for prizes like light bulbs and surge protectors or fitness memberships. Several people won a five-week fitness boot camp.

At another booth, parents had the chance to have their children fingerprinted. There were also several games for kids to play. For those more adventurous, there was a petting zoo and the chance to jump in bounce houses. The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department were also on hand with trucks and a patrol car that provided the opportunity for attendees to sit in the driver’s seat.

“We are here enjoying the day,” said Rosemont resident Daylene Perry, 48. “We come every year. It’s getting better every year. I like it because the neighbors show up.”

With live music in the background, vendors kept busy answering questions about their services or products.

At Lend A Heart, Animal Assisted Therapy, small dogs sat quietly as passerby would stop to pet them.

“We volunteer with our dogs, cats and rabbits,” said Lend A Heart President Barbara Street, of Rosemont. “We’ve been doing this in Sacramento for 25 years and we visit schools, hospitals, nursing homes and lots of different places in Sacramento. We have about 70 members and are always looking volunteers. We just love what we do.”

For many Rosemont residents, the annual celebration is a way to get in touch with the community.

“I’ve lived in Rosemont my whole life and I‘m part of the community,” said Denise Beatty. “We come here all the time to the park. We haven’t been here for a little bit because they and so now that it’s remolded and they had this big event, we came back out here and we are enjoying the day and having a good time.”

That sentiment was reflected by others who attended the event and many said they were already looking forward to next year.