Mayor’s Message Mayor’s Message

I am excited to welcome you to another beautiful Steel Days celebration! I encourage everyone to participate I can personally attest that Steel Days is what brings our community together and where memories are made I remember as a young child being excited for when the carnival came to town for Steel Days Cell phones weren’t needed with the network of kid spies we had . As soon as the first kid saw the carnival trucks pulling in, every kid in the neighborhood knew within the hour and was at Robinson Park to watch them set up With excitement I watched parts of the carnival being set up over the three days leading up to Steel Days . First the ferris wheel, then the myriad of spinning rides, then the booths and food stations As a kid, that was one of the only times I could get cotton candy and a corn dog These memories were salient for me as it marked the start of one of the best weeks of the year: Steel Days Even still, the sounds, lights, and smells at the carnival take me back to when I was a kid and get me excited all over again for Steel Days I also remember as a kid going into my parent’s backyard, and even later as an adult with my own family, to enjoy barbeque and the Steel Days fireworks As our family grew, and as Steel Days grew as well, we moved to what would become the Big Show at Art Dye Even today, we gather there to lay out blankets, eat food, and enjoy music and fireworks When I see the thousands of people at Art Dye watching the fireworks, I have to smile because I know from personal experience that there are probably thousands more in backyards across the city also enjoying the fireworks with their friends and family . I remember many years ago working for the parks department and helping with different activities at Steel Days I was at the carnival one year when, at midnight, crews were there to film a scene for the coming-of-age sport comedy called, The Sandlot . Because they were filming the scene so late, I had to be there to make sure the sprinklers didn’t go off during their filming

As a father and grandfather, I enjoy watching similar excitement and memories being built within my own kids and grandkids . We have had three generations of my family attending various events . It’s at those events that we laugh over old memories while creating new ones For my family, Steel Days means tradition, family time, and community We plan our personal activities around Steel Days because we enjoy it so much I invite you all to have fun at Steel Days this year . Create your own memories while enjoying all that Steel Days has to offer

Mayor Brad Frost