Thanks for staging fun for community

ISSUE: Kudos to fun festivals
OUR VIEW: Cherish the times

As the dry, hot summer gives way to a reasonable if not mild August, weekends are dominated by community events.

Three recent celebrations illustrated some of our community’s best attributes and their organizers deserve accolades.

Cecilia Days has long been a highlight among Hardin County’s roll call of community festivals. While the quaint setting and community spirit are obvious contributions to its success, Cecilia benefits from its extremely active Ruritan Club and long hours invested behind the scenes.

The festival has developed one of the grandest community parades and unique signature events such as its almost-talent show. The friendly homecoming atmosphere and day-long events have made it a place for hundreds to hang out and enjoy.

This year, Radcliff picked the same weekend to conduct its second Radcliff Family Reunion.

It’s another event that celebrates a core principle of the community. While Cecilia pays homage to country life, farm culture and a railroad community, Radcliff’s reunion makes the most of its diversity.

Because the city developed alongside a military installation, residents from far and near have come to call it home. For many, what they have in common are fatigues, U.S. Army culture and being from somewhere else.

And the fact it all works to build a harmonious community is very much worthy of a celebration.

Then one week later along Ky. 313 near the Vine Grove-Radcliff dividing line, Hardin County Water District No. 1 opened its property to celebrate 60 years of service.

The ready availability of affordable clean water has as much to do with effective development in the water district’s service area as the road network and steady employment locally.

The district’s demonstrated its effectiveness by staging a fun community celebration. In doing so, it displayed the effectiveness and planning shown in its work over the past decades. It has managed to set aside memories of some high-profile mishaps and establish a reputation for quality.

All three of these events have different roots and different reasons for existing. In the end, most of us go for the same reason. They are fun.

There’s still more to come including Heartland Festival in the Park, Vine Grove’s Autumn Daze and the Glendale Crossing Festival. Enjoy the traditions.

This editorial represents a consensus of The News-Enterprise's editorial board.