I know most of you are asking, "What is the Decatur Celebration (DC)?" To that, I have to proclaim that it is a super awesome way to hear dynamic concerts free of charge, eat delicious and calorie-packed fair food, and see people from all over Illinois and beyond! I love the Decatur Celebration!
I moved to Decatur, Illinois at the age of ten. Several years after, I went to my first Decatur Celebration. I was hooked! I've been to many fairs and carnivals throughout my life, but this beats them all. This is the largest free street festival in the midwest! Twenty-two blocks are sectioned off so that the fun can begin! Typically, the Decatur Celebration has approximately 300,000 in attendance througout the course of the Thursday-Sunday that it runs.
Some people think the DC is boring. Some call it the "White Trash Bash." Others believe it's just too crowded. To all of that, I say, "NO WAY! Put me smack dab in the middle of that crowd and let me socialize!"
If I were in Decatur tonight instead of NY I would be there. Tonight is the Family Fun Carnival Night. The rides are discounted and we love to ride rides. Thursday nights don't bring in huge crowds, so it's a nice night to take the kids and let them eat junk food and enjoy some thrilling rides.
As a teenager, I wouldn't have missed the DC for anything! I would go with friends and we would meet boys and listen to music and ride the rides and just have a ball. I'd tease my hair all up and put on a little extra eyeliner. I'm not embarassed to say that I would spend hours, literally, shopping for the perfect DC outfits. I can still remember a few of them. One in particular, was a pair of short denim shorts with a red and black plaid ruffle around the bottom of each leg. It had a short-sleeved button up white shirt. The shirt had a bit of the plaid on it as well, and it tied in the front. Now that I think about it, the shorts were on the short side for sure, and I'm surprised I was let out the house like that. Nevertheless, I was, and I was sure cool that night!
I never let anything stop me from attending this fabulous celebration. When I was 16 I had all four wisdom teeth cut out. I was on pain meds and I resembled a chipmunk. My face was bruised. It wasn't my best look. So, I just worked on my hair to make it extra big and fluffy and put on my most awesome outfit picked out just for the DC, and that was that! Problem solved!
Last year, at this time, I had a huge kidney stone. It was the second largest that the hospital had seen in ten years! My right kidney was completely blocked. The doctors put a stent in and I ended up with a terrible fever and infection. Finally, I switched hospitals and doctors and I had lithotripsy surgery. I was hurting! I felt like I had been run over by a truck and then left there. It was DC time! What was I to do? There was only one solution: Take the vicodin my amazing doctor prescribed and GO!
I love live music! Throughout the years I have enjoyed some super rad bands. I have so many favorites! I was actually was able to meet the Nelson brothers after the show and get their autograph. I melted when they sang, "After the Rain!" Two years ago I went with my sister to see the Plain White T's. We were standing in the street with thousands of others singing "Hey There Delilah" at the top of our lungs. Little did we know what was in store for us!
My daughter called and told us that she was going to try to meet The Plain White T's. We figured it would never happen, but we should at least try. The concert ended and the masses started to hustle away to find drinks and funnel cakes. We made our way up to the front. All of the sudden, we saw one of the band members...the lead singer, Tim! Oh my!
He went and got the others! We hung out with them for awhile. They signed autographs for us and we took pictures with them. We felt like teenagers again!
This year's live music includes Night Ranger, Tiffany, Digital Underground, Rob Base and Downhere! Come on people! If you don't go, do you see what you're missing? Do you know the DC is where I tasted and loved my very first deep fried twinkie??
I am really missing my best friend LA right now. We go together every single year. We head down in the evening ready to meet and greet! She is usually looking super fly in ripped up jeans and hair that's teased just right on the top. I am almost always in heels that hurt my feet so badly that by the time I leave the DC my feet are literally unrecognizeable. I'm usually barefoot by the time we walk to the car.
Last week I began to wonder...Who will LA go with this year? She called me and informed me that she was taking her family to St. Louis for the weekend. She wasn't even going to bother going. Our tradition has ended, and it makes me sad.
What will I miss the most about the good ol' DC? The people, of course! There was nothing I enojoyed more than roaming the busy streets of Decatur and running into peeps that I haven't seen in ten years or more! It was like a huge reunion that I was able to be a part of year after year!
Some like it; some hate it. I'm a fan and I always will be! Go out and celebrate this weekend, Decatur! Put your cute clothes on, do your hair all up, and go have a great time!
Push and shove your way up to the front row like you own the place and sing along with Tiffany as she performs, "I Think We're Alone Now."
Oh, and have a deep friend twinkie for me!
No comments:
Post a Comment