More than 2,000 people turned out Aug. 6 for a picnic to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Arnold incorporation as a city in 1972, said Teresa Kohut, Arnold Parks and Recreation superintendent.
Arnold had planned to hold an Independence Day celebration on July 2, but it was rained out, so city officials scheduled the 1970s-themed picnic at Arnold City Park to take its place.
Kohut said the turnout for the picnic was good, despite the heat.
“Several people expressed concern about how hot it was, but we received very good feedback from people on Facebook who enjoyed it,” she said.
“We were so happy to hold it. We had gotten a lot of rain the week before, and it was a concern about how quickly the park would absorb the water. The grounds where people sat were fairly dry. We had to work around some parking issues, but there was still plenty of parking for everyone.”
A fireworks show and the unveiling of a 50th anniversary showpiece that were supposed to be part of the July 2 event instead were held at the picnic.
“The fireworks display was probably the best we’ve ever had,” Arnold Mayor Ron Counts said. “The crowd loved it. It was a good day.”
The showpiece also was a hit, city officials said.
It is an arch-shaped structure with the words, “City of Arnold,” written across the arch, and under that, the words, “50 years.” On each said of the structure’s legs is the city’s 50th anniversary logo.
The showpiece, which can be lit up, also has an image that depicts the waves from a river, a covered wagon and a man who appears to be tending to a farm.
Gateway Pyrotechnic put on the fireworks show and created the showpiece.
“It (the showpiece) was well received and very neat,” Counts said.
Kohut said Monday that the showpiece is not on display now, but city officials plan to have it at various locations and future events.
The picnic also featured free train rides, face painting and balloon animals for children, as well as performances by the band BUMP!
The city also sold anniversary merchandise during the picnic and gave away more copies of a coffee-table book the city and the Leader teamed up to produce. The book is packed with images from the last five decades, including photos from the Leader’s archives, as well as photos submitted by current and former Arnold residents.
Kohut said more than 1,000 copies of the book were handed out during the picnic.
As of Monday, the city had a few hundred copies left that were being handed out at Arnold City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd., and the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road.
The book also will be available during Arnold Days, set for Sept. 16-18 at Arnold City Park.
“The city has ordered more books, so there will be more for Arnold Days,” Kohut said. “We expected the books to be very popular, and they are. Free is always a great thing, but I think people like getting something that is a piece of the history of Arnold.”