Festivals Donate Funds to Get Electricity in North Frontier Park

The 2013 St. Charles Oktoberfest celebration will include about 10 to 15 more booths now that electricity is available on the north side of Frontier Park. 

Oktoberfest and the Festival of the Little Hills each donated funds, $4,000 and $5,000 respectively, to the St. Charles Parks and Recreation Foundation to help pay to expand the electric access in Frontier Park.

Maralee Britton, director of parks and recreation, said in an email the parks department was approached by leaders of both festivals who hoped to see electricity access expanded on the north side of the park. 

With very limited electric access, the north end of the park has primarily been used for items that don't require electricity, like the children's area, tractors or ice cream churns run by motors. 

Now, the north end of the park and the newly built pavilion have electricity. 

Festivals will still be limited in what can be offered in that area. The Missouri First State Capitol property runs through Frontier Park to the river and nothing can be sold in that area. Additionally, the parks department prohibits the sale of any item from any pavilions in any park.

The total cost to add new electric to the north end of the park was $12,900. With $9,000 from the two festivals, the parks department project fund covered the remaining $3,900, Britton said. 

Dan Foust, chairman of Oktoberfest, said in an email they plan to ask the parks department permission to move the car show up to Main Street in 2013, which will mean they would have the entire park for entertainment and booths.