Summer's Last Stand at Brentwood Days Festival

Over and over again, the disembodied voice cried out, begging for volunteers to step right up, test their strength and try for a prize. 

"I hear it in my dreams," said Clint Clark, an employee with American Banner Amusement. "Hi-Striker!"

After four years of working for the carnival company that provided the rides and games at this year's Brentwood Days festival, he admits that he's usually able to just tune out the sound of the incessant recording. 

Clark's booth was one of many spread out around Brentwood Park this weekend at the annual neighborhood celebration. The festival has been called Brentwood Days since 1994, but its history goes back much further when it was known as Maddenfest, a reference to the town's identity before 1919 as Maddenville. 

"The name was a way to hold on to some of the area's history, " Director of Parks and Recreation Michele Frankowski said.

Because admission to the festival is free, it's difficult to know exactly how many people attend each year, but Frankowski points out that she and other organizers are there for the whole event, so they get a sense of the crowd size. 

"Plus our vendors give us a lot of feedback," she adds.

The park seemed lively both Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, without being overwhelmingly crowded. Parking for the event required some patience on the part of drivers, but most visitors who were willing to wait found space on the park grounds. The remainder were able to find spots on the street in the surrounding neighborhoods. 

The midway section of the festival felt like a slice of county fair, with all of the traditional carnival junk foods, a Ferris wheel and several thrill rides.  Those rides proved to be one of the biggest draws to the event because they were all free. A booth selling Ted Drewes custards provided a local touch and was especially welcome on Saturday when temperatures rose close to 90 degrees. 

Besides the fair attractions, there was a wide range of activities available to visitors, including live music, dancing, karaoke and bingo. Children were treated to pony rides and an NFL sponsored Pass, Punt and Kick competition.

Brentwood Days wrapped up with a concert by Elvis impersonator Steve Davis and a fireworks display, closing out the festival just in time before severe thunderstorms swept through the city.