Helper Arts, Film and Music Festival co-director Kate Kilpatrick-Miller visited the Helper City Council on Thursday evening to update them on the festival and what is to come. The festival is just over a month away, slated to begin on Thursday, Aug. 16 in conjunction with Culture Connection.
The festival will run Aug. 16-19. The music is set and vendors are coming in. Kilpatrick-Miller stated that there are a couple of items the committee is still working on. Something that has been remiss in the past is data gathering, which helps with grant writing and other points.
To assist with that, a change that is coming this year will be a mix of vintage cars and fencing that will funnel attendees in from the North and South. In addition, four to six information stations will be set up, asking attendees their zip code and the like to be closer to knowing who is being brought into the area with the festival each year. Kilpatrick-Miller also stated that the barriers will assist in alcohol not being taken out of the licensed areas.
At the time of the meeting, 40 volunteers were still needed for the festival. Kilpatrick-Miller stated the committee is going to USU Eastern, Kiwanis, family members and the like. The Carbon County Sterling Scholars are also participating heavily in the festival. Councilwoman Malarie Matsuda volunteered for a number of shifts. Kilpatrick-Miller assured that she would bring one more update before the festival began.
Mayor Lenise Peterman presented the need for approval on a donation of plants for the Wedge from the Helper Project. As previously explained by Mayor Peterman, she would like to ensure that many subjects are approached in a public and transparent way. The Helper Project approached the Wedge project managers and informed them they would like to donate funds for the plants.
The first wave of plants have been purchased, and Mayor Peterman stated that she wanted to acknowledge that and would love to entertain a motion of acceptance. There is a certain amount of funding and roughly half has been spent. Mayor Peterman also expressed that she is appreciative of what is being done in the city. The plant donation was approved by the council.