November 02, 2024 Donate

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Dexter Daze Issues a Community Call to Action Amidst Organizational Challenges

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Dexter Daze Issues a Community Call to Action Amidst Organizational Challenges

Courtesy of the Dexter Daze Festival

A popular Dexter event that has woven itself into the fabric of community life faces an uncertain future.

Dexter Daze, a festival celebrating community spirit since 1974 (and before in various iterations), with the sole exception of the pause in 2020 due to global health concerns, now teeters on the brink of cancellation.

At the core of this predicament is not a lack of enthusiasm or communal love for the event but a logistical hurdle threatening its existence. However, the tone surrounding this challenge is not one of despair but of an intrepid call to action spearheaded by the festival’s long-serving organizer, Tracy Lambert.

Tracy, who has dedicated fifteen years to orchestrating Dexter Daze, shared insights into the operational difficulties that the festival is currently facing. “At the end of the day, we’re just people who live in Dexter and want to do this,” Tracy says of the grassroots nature of the festival’s organizing committee. “But we don’t have enough people to fill our organizational structure.”

Dexter Daze organizer Tracy Lambert. Photo by Doug Marrin.

The festival operates under the aegis of an independent non-profit organization instead of a committee under the auspices of the city or chamber of commerce. This year, the non-profit finds itself in a conundrum due to insufficient board members to form a quorum, thus stalling decision-making processes. “We do have bylaws,” Tracy explains, outlining the structural challenges at hand. “We need four people as a minimum to run the board, and we don’t even have that.”

While outlining the problem, Tracy hopes her words also serve as a rallying cry for community involvement: “What we’re talking about is a structural problem,” she says. “We need strong, business-oriented people.” Her group is looking for new leadership to step forward, ensuring the festival’s continuation as an annual event and a cherished tradition.

The call for volunteers is specific and urgent, emphasizing the need for individuals with strong organizational and decision-making skills to step forward and ameliorate the organizational shortfall. Despite the challenges, the sentiment remains hopeful. Tracy envisions a path forward where community members step up to the plate, preserving the festival’s legacy.

With the help of a few strong hands, the story of Dexter Daze is far from over. In fact, it may well be on the cusp of a new chapter, written by those it has brought together year after year.

So, what do you think? If you would like to help champion the community cause, you can contact the Dexter Daze Festival at https://www.dexterdaze.org/