When the Dexter Daze organization decided to shut down their activities and retire, Chamber of Commerce made the decision to keep the summer festival tradition alive. We had never attempted such a massive, multi day event, but my board, undaunted by the impossible, was willing to take this on.

The Dexter Summer Festival, like all events hosted by the Chamber is only possible because of the willingness of the Dexter community to partner with the Chamber of Commerce to keep the tradition alive. This event that is enjoyed by thousands, is the result of the hard work and dedication of all of those who work tirelessly behind the scenes. In my opinion, these people pulled off a small miracle in 100 days.

Our sponsors are beyond compare. Dexter Orthodontics, our Patron sponsor, is an amazing partner. Their creativity, resourcefulness, and “what more can we do to make this great?” attitude never taps the brakes. Drs. Brandon and Mary Beth, we can never thank you enough. Your imagination and complete support makes what we do possible. Thank you!!
Our Diamond Sponsor SBK Orthodontics sponsored of the Action Zone. If you were in North Mill Creek Park and saw the hundreds of kids and families having the time of their lives in an area dedication just for them or were one of the participants, SBK Orthodontics made it possible to have an area full of games and entertainment that was all free, thank SBK. It would not have been possible without their generous support.

The Michigan Army National Guard, our other Diamond sponsor, was our Main Attraction sponsor. If you enjoyed any of the six bands at the gazebo during the weekend, thank the Guard. Again, without their generosity, the event shrinks or dies.
So many other businesses stepped up. An event of this size requires thousands of dollars to become real. With no seed money from previous festivals, their support was critical. Dapco, ITC, Cedars of Dexter, Encompass USA, LaFontaine, 3 Bird, Varsity Ford, MiVet Animal Clinic, Chelsea State Bank, Ivy Rehab for Kids, Rathburn Contracting, North Star Reach, and Cade Advertising, many who always step up to partner with the Chamber, did it again to preserve the festival. We are forever grateful.

Mysti Root and Stephanie Korican who had experience with previous festivals, guided us. Without them, it would have been like climbing Mt Everest without a Sherpa. They kept us moving in the right direction. Ladies, your advice and selfless assistance saved us. You amaze me!

Volunteers behind the showed up willing to do anything. Do you have any idea how much trash accumulates when thousands of visitors descend into a small town? At least two commercial dumpsters full! The Huron River Methodist Church Youth group found out. For two days, local teens from HRMC led by youth pastor Joy Hook, hauled trash, oversaw eager kids in bounce houses and Gaga pits. Not only that, over that entire period, I never heard a complaint, saw them heads down with their phone, or were grumpy. These kids were hard working, focused, kind and cool. Generally awesome. Joy, thank you for overseeing such an amazing group. You were life savers!

There are other behind the scene heroes: Tim Smith and the DPW team ( including gray tank top guy),These guys do all the set up and tear down. They move it, haul it, set it up, take it down, literally do all the heavy lifting. They are instantly available and always on point. Thank you guys!

A special thank you to the residents of Central Street between Main and Fifth Street. You are most impacted by Monument Park events-the noise, the crowds, the closed streets. You could make it far more difficult but have embraced this community and her events, sacrificing convenience and privacy. Thank you for your selflessness.

Finally, last but not least, Chamber board of directors. We are an all volunteer organization. We have no paid positions. My board members, most who have full time jobs and families, worked tirelessly to make sure that the end of the Dexter Daze corporation did not mean the end of our well loved summer tradition. Chris DeRuever, Ashley Minesinger, Michelle Byrnes, Alexa Kane, Jake Manderfield, Kandie Waggoner, and Steve Fienman along with Chamber Ambassadors Quaila Pant, Chuck Colby and Kaylie Sheppard put in countless hours figuring it out and making it happen. Kaylie and Michelle, especially, were relentless in their pursuit of making our rookie season incredible. I have no idea how many hours on top of their full time job they put in, how much sleep they lost, but I am eternally grateful for their dedication and the generosity of their employers, Affinity Wealth and Dapco, for giving these women the bandwidth to move mountains. #mindblown!
To the community, thank you for showing up. We hope you had a great time. Thanks to everyone listed above, and many more, the Dexter Summer Festival (or whatever you want to call it) is alive and well.

Becky Cobler
President
Dexter Area Chamber of Commerce
734.576.6354