LETTERS: SOME ORIGINAL IDEAS FOR RIVERFEST

To the editor:

A recent announcement said Riverfest will take a hiatus this year, certain members of the committee will step down and a reformed committee will seek public input concerning future expectations. From numerous residents I have heard discuss this topic, I am not alone in welcoming a possible change.

Nearly 25 years ago when Riverfest was barely more than idle talk, several of us sought a common goal: an enjoyable, educational weekend to celebrate Cape's heritage and connection to the Mississippi River. What happened to our suggestions is not important. What is important at this time is to ask the movers and shakers of future Riverfests to seriously consider some of the original concepts.

Water Street and, if necessary, the downtown parking lot should be filled with people in 19th-century costume demonstrating a vast array of period crafts: apple-butter making, weaving, tinsmithing, caning. These folks could sell their wares while providing us with a reflection of lifestyles long past. Civil War re-enactors should be encamped at Fort D, an actual site during the 1860s where soldiers were stationed. They could offer musket drills and fire blank loads, which might provide an appreciation not everyone has an opportunity to witness. And to celebrate the rich past this community has with Native Americans, a powwow at Capaha Park. Buses might be required to shuffle folks from one location to another, and other costs would certainly be incurred. However, such exhibits have a direct connection with our heritage. Now, if the celebration could only be coordinated with one of the riverboats docking ... .

JIM BEQUETTE

Cape Girardeau