A Thank You for Summerfest 2014

By: Jack White, VHCA President

On behalf of Virginia-Highland Civic Association, I’d like to personally thank this year’s Summerfest leadership team, volunteers, artists, vendors and sponsors for serving up another outstanding festival. I can’t tell you how many positive comments I heard from attendees, exhibitors and residents that the 2014 edition was one of the best Summerfests ever. From what I witnessed personally, these comments were spot on.

Summerfest is the VHCA’s most important fund-raising event of the year. Success with the event ensures that the association can continue to provide important programs, services and grants for the betterment of VaHi and its residents. The incredible contributions of time and talent made by our dedicated volunteers, partners and vendors are a key part of this success and you all delivered this year in spades.

As has come to be expected from Summerfest, this year’s artist market was an impressive array of some of the most outstanding art in the southeast; our music stages were busy with talented, entertaining performers; and our generous sponsors helped us deliver a festival that, by all accounts, was enjoyed and appreciated by all.

Special thanks go to festival co-chairs Pamela Papner, Paige Hewell and John Becker for providing the vision and leadership for Summerfest 2014. There are more moving parts to organizing and executing a festival of this size and scope than most could imagine, and your attention to detail in the important areas of sponsorships, operations, volunteers, and communications positioned us well for success.

As usual, the co-chairs put an outstanding team together around them and the following folks should be thanked for their outstanding contributions in key areas:

VHCA Summerfest Store: Suzanne Scully and Steve Voichick

Neighborhood Parade: Kris Smith

Community Dinner and Movie: Charlie LeFort and John Peter Casey

Artists: Nancy Musser and Julie Tepp

Road Race: Ed Williams

Tot Trot: Nancy and Bob Coomes

On-Site Operations/Coordination of Vendors: Rob Frazer, Premier Events Management

Musical Entertainment: Josh Antenucci

Sponsorships: Rick Kern and Brooke Anglin, MixIt Marketing

Signage Design/Production: Cornelia Gregory

Promotion/Social Media: Kelsey Walker, Liz Lapidus PR

Finance/Cash Coordination: Frazier Dworet and Peggy Berg

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t also personally thank the 200+ volunteers without which we would have no festival. You are truly the heart and soul of Summerfest and you stepped up to the plate big time this year.

Thanks again to everyone involved in this year’s Summerfest.