'Cherries and Sweet Memories'

Many in Beaumont say going to the annual Cherry Festival is like attending a high school reunion every year.

You get to see people you've missed and do a little catching up.

These hometown gatherings date to the days of horse-drawn buggies and wagons, when locals would bake a pie, pack a picnic lunch in a basket and head for the Cherry Festival.

Times have changed, but the Cherry Festival still draws people from all around. Everyone is welcome to attend the 93rd annual Cherry Festival, which runs from Thursday, June 2 to Sunday, June 5.

As an "itty bitty" girl in the 1970s, Kristy Weaver Sullivan rode in a shiny, red fire truck during the Cherry Festival Parade.  In elementary school, the Beaumont native marched with a cheer team named after the Royal Ann Cherry. She became Miss Beaumont-Cherry Valley in 1987. Later, she went to college, got married, started at family and now lives in Corona. Sullivan is looking forward to her annual get together with lifelong friends.

"It's a very special time filled with so many fond memories," Sullivan said. "You just can’t wait to see everyone. It's just like 'coming home again.' "

This year, the festival theme is "A Slice of Heaven in 2011." And like previous festivals, it will feature thrill rides, headline performers, a parade, car show, arts and crafts, food vendors, and a pancake breakfast. Every year, new daredevil rides make an appearance at the Cherry Festival.  And don’t forget the sweet, dark-red cherries that gave the festival its name.

"It's a tradition in Beaumont - something that is passed down from generation to generation," Sullivan said.

The gates to this year's event will swing open on Thursday night, June 2.

Jam with the Man, the city of Beaumont's very own band that includes several police officers, will take the stage at 5 p.m. opening night. At 7 p.m., Restless Heart, a country music group with hits like "I'll Still Be Loving You" and "Bluest Eyes in Texas," will headline the evening concert.

During four days of concerts, famous rock bands like War, Air Supply, the Little River Band and Brenton Wood - "The Oogum Boogum Man" - will headline at the Cherry Festival. Mini Kiss, a tribute band to the famed hard rock group with face paint, and local groups like The Basix and The Superfreaks will also entertain.

Admission is $3 for adults and children 6 to 11 years old on opening night and $5 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Children under 5 are admitted without charge each day.

This year, the city is offering free shuttle service and parking to and from the event. All shuttle riders receive a coupon for $1 off on the admission price. Shuttles will run every half-hour, with stops located in the Walmart parking lot on 2nd Street and at the Sports Park, located at Brookside and Beaumont avenues.

The Cherry Festival, held each year in Stewart Park, draws up to 40,000 people. This year, Dan and Laura Dotson, celebrity auctioneers for the TV reality show "Storage Wars," will serve as grand marshals for the parade.

The festival got its start during World War I when cherry ranchers planted the first trees in the Pass area. In the early years, festival goers lined up for free samples at cherry booths along the road. Cherry ranchers found themselves heading home, climbing up on ladders and picking more of their crop to meet the demand—and a proud tradition was born.

While big management companies run some festivals, the Cherry Festival stays true to its hometown roots.  The Cherry Festival Association, with its loyal volunteers, works almost year-round to make the festival a success.

Whatever needs to be done, whether it's ordering wristbands, putting out cherry-red signs on street corners or taking tickets at the gate, you'll probably see one of your neighbors working hard. By Cherry Festival time, about 200 volunteers will make sure that crowds enjoy every moment.

For further information: www.beaumontcherryfestival.org.