Hello, Summer

The first youngster in the pool this year was Ryker Freeburg, courtesy of his little sister, Maura, who happily pushed him in. Maura then did the same thing to her father, David. It was a slow start to the pool season, as the high was only 61 degrees at 1 p.m. on Saturday, when the doors to the Tracy Aquatic Center opened. The pool has unfortunately since closed because of water quality issues.

The City of  Tracy hosted its annual summer kick-off this past weekend, complete with

a well-attended movie in the park, a first-of-its kind festival complete with live music and food, and what all the kids were waiting for: the opening of the aquatic center

By Per Peterson

Tracy native and popular crooner Kayla Daniels belted out a number of country hits as the opening act at Burgers, Bands & Brews in Central Park on Saturday.

Weekend temperatures were some 30 degrees cooler than at the 2021 City of Tracy Summer Kick-Off, but the rain held off and by all accounts, it was a most successful weekend.

“I think the weather was great, compared to how it could’ve been,” Tracy City Administrator Erik Hansen said. “It was cool, for sure, but it was a great weekend. Overall, the weather held for us. These are events that every year they’re going to get bigger and better.”

The weekend started with another Movie in the Park and bounce houses at Central Park that drew about 150 people.

“That was a pretty great afternoon,” Hansen said. “The pool opened to some cool weather, and then we had Burgers, Bands & Brews, and I think everybody had a lot of fun at night. We plan to do all these things again next year — it’s just a way for us to bring the community together.”

It was a slow start to the pool season Saturday, as the temperature at 1 p.m. was just 61 degrees — a far cry from last year’s opener when the mercury hit 90. The first family into the pool was the David and Ashley Freeburg family, thanks to young Maura, who was more than glad to push her older brother, Ryker, and dad, David, into the 80-degree water.

Musical headliners for Burgers, Bands & Brews were local favorite Kayla Daniels, followed by Roxbury Band. Attendees’ stomachs were more than filled with burgers and a wide variety of drinks for both adults and children, alike.

Hansen said putting on events like the kick-off to summer is an important tool in maintaining a strong, vital community. For community members, and those from around Tracy who visited, it’s a fun weekend. As far as the City of Tracy is concerned, it’s an economic strategy.

“Obviously, the population’s declined in the last half century in Tracy and in the surrounding farms and communities, so we have to be able to attract people to town,” said Hansen. “That could be visitors for tourism with Wheels Across the Prairie, or it could just be people coming in to see what’s going on. The more that we can do those things, the more people in town we have.”

See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.