It wasn’t just fun and games at the 11th annual Swamp Fest in Land O’ Lakes.
There was music, food, rides and entertainment, too.
“It was incredible weather. We had good crowds,” said Doug Hutchinson, festival coordinator.
“Friday night and Saturday night were incredibly busy, and Sunday was very busy,” he said.
The crowds were so large, the main parking area was filled at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, and overflow used the parking at Sanders Memorial Elementary STEAM Magnet School.
At times, people who wanted to park had to wait for others to leave the festival, Hutchinson said.
“That’s a great problem to have,” he added.
The event raises money for area schools, nonprofits and community organizations, and is hosted by the Land O’ Lakes High School Booster Club.
On the morning of Nov. 2, before Swamp Fest festivities began, there was a special event to honor Vietnam Veterans.
Sandy Graves organized the event, which Hutchinson said, was “incredibly well-attended.”
After it was over, he said Graves told him: “You know what, we’ve got to do this again next year.”
“I said, ‘I’m all for it. It went great.’”
The booster club’s proceeds go for such things as new weights in the weight room, a new sign for the high school off U.S. 41 and other items that are not part of the regular school budget, Hutchinson said.
“The coaches always fill our ears with what we could spend it on, as you can imagine.”
Hutchinson was thrilled with the outcome for this year’s event.
“It wound up being one of the best Swamp Fests that we’ve had, so we’re pretty excited about it,” he said.
Published November 13, 2019
