Volunteers, planning make events work well

Anyone who says Cape Girardeau isn't a happening place didn't avail himself of two recent entertainment opportunities.

First there was Libertyfest in downtown Cape Girardeau on the Fourth of July.

There were several components, but those that drew the biggest crowds were the municipal band's performance of patriotic music and then the fireworks, shot from a barge in the Mississippi River.

It was a beautiful evening. The band was situated on the street at Spanish and Themis, facing the Common Pleas Courthouse steps. Thousands upon thousands of people covered the courthouse terraces to enjoy the performances. Others sat in lawn chairs right in the middle of Themis, which was blocked off to traffic.

Then, July 11 through 13, there was the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival, which again attracted thousands to watch the stunning F-18 Hornet, the Lima Lima aerobatics team, World War II-era warplanes and other aircraft.

The key to these successful events was outstanding planning and generous volunteerism. Our hats are off to all who brought these ideas to life.