Princess Aislinn of Spain

As you know, Aislinn, our blogging maven, had the audacity to abandon us last week to go off and get married and honeymooned. She'll be back at the end of next week, and I'm sure she'll have great stories to share as we start our final countdown to the Fun 4th.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share, not only some great shots of the happy couple (just click on the link in this blog title), but the exciting photography of the up and coming Morgan White. Morgan has an amazing eye and really captured the spirit of Aislinn and Matt.

Congrats, Aislinn and Matt Spain, we here at Fun 4th are so happy for you and hope you are having a wonderful time in Jamaica, but ----- hurry back, Aislinn, your work is piling up!

You can send your very own congratulations to Aislinn at administration@grassrootsproductionsltd.org -- or better yet, come visit her at Fun 4th and congratulate her in person!

Betty Cone

I started to write this blog about our fearless leader here at Grassroots Productions, but if you already know Betty Cone, then you'll know that no words I can come up with will be sufficient to describe her. If you don't already know the Queen of Greensboro, find an opportunity to -- you'll never regret it. Betty Cone is one of the most generously committed people you will ever meet -- and one hour of her time is filled with more passion than most people experience in a lifetime. Like I said -- words fall way way short of the amazing complexity that is Betty Cone, but in a universe where a picture is worth a thousand words, this one pretty much sums it up. Congratulations on another fantastic Fun 4th -- thanks for continuing to be our muse!

Behind the Scenes - Part 3 - Expect the Unexpected

We're down to counting hours rather than days now -- hard to believe we're almost ready for you to arrive. As I write, I'm watching our crew load up all the stuff we store in our on-site headquarters at the Cultural Arts Center. After I post this, it'll be time for me to pack up the laptop and head on over myself.

In my last installment, I talked about the details of the Fun 4th that are critical to the success of the event. While "Where Are the Portajohns?" has become our mantra, our Rule #1 has become "Expect the Unexpected." Just a little reminder that we always have to be flexible and and be prepared to think on the fly. You never know what the Fun 4th will bring -- missing folks with Alzheimer's, folks who think that bringing their pet snakes to a festival with 60,000 people is a good idea, lost parents, heat stroke, rogue vendors -- and of course, there's always the possibility of an intense thunderstorm when you least desire it. Like during Festival take-down. When there's no way not to get soaking wet. When you don't have any clothes to change into. Those are the moments when you discover the depth of your creative think abilities -- and the versatility of a Fun 4th t-shirt when you get soaked to the skin.

Yep -- a 3XL Fun 4th t-shirt and a little imagination and you'll be good to go. Expect the Unexpected -- Rule #1 for the Fun 4th, and really, Rule #1 for life, too -- right?

Behind the Scenes

When you come to any of the Fun 4th Festival events, we hope that each event appears effortless, almost as though it has happened by magic. That's the way all good parties should seem. If you've ever hosted a big party, though, you know that's all an illusion.

We're hosting four parties that we call the Fun 4th Festival, for a total of about 100,000 of our closest friends. There's nothing we like better than to see all your smiling faces each year, enjoying all that these parties have to offer. And we hope it seems to you like we've thrown it all together with ease and grace.

This is our 36th Fun 4th so we've been doing this for awhile. Throughout the years, a few things have changed about the Festival, but one thing that hasn't is our dependence on volunteers and staff that we never see except at Fun 4th time. Basically, we have a skeleton staff that operates our little non-profit throughout the year, but come Fun 4th time, our small suite of offices fills with scores of people that we generally only see once a year. Fun 4th Fun Factoid: it takes about 1,000 volunteers to put on the Fun 4th each year. Behind the Scenes note: there are hundreds of them I never even see -- crazy, right?

I'm always excited to see our returning volunteers and crew, to find out what has happened in their lives over the past year, to hear about new jobs, marriages, babies -- the joys and sorrows that are natural to share with folks you spend an intense week with each year. Our little staff spends so much insulated time together, focused on the minutiae of the Festival, that we sometimes forget the FUN part of Fun 4th. Every year, with the influx of all these great people, there comes a new energy that buoys us into the home stretch. I can't say that all the last minute frustrations go away or that you won't hear the sounds of rampant aggravation in our office, but I will say, this time of year, you will also hear the hum of catching-up conversation and getting-to-know-you stories of new found friends. And laughter, you can hear lots and lots of laughter. Hey, it is FUN 4th, after all -- right?!

For all of you who like a good spoiler to your story or a behind-the-scenes look, though, this one's for you. I'll be posting some pictures of our offices over the next few days of prep time. It kind of looks like someone has puked red, white and blue chaos all over the place right now, but like all good hosts, we'll be ready for you when you get to the Festival. First up -- we're T minus 2 days to the Freedom Run & Walk so here's a look at what we're up to. Holy Moley -- I'd better get back to work!!

The Faces of the Fun Fourth Festival

Each year the Fun Fourth Festival is held in downtown Greensboro. This event is produced, planned and organized by Grassroots Productions Limited a non-profit that focuses on community events in Greensboro. Over 1000 volunteers work more than 12,000 each year to make the Festival a success. Volunteers serve on our Advisory Board, help coordinate the entertainment, plan Children's Activities, sell tickets, answer questions, sell coke & water, coordinate the parade and many other jobs.

We thought you might like to meet some of The Faces of the Fun Fourth Festival. We've asked our volunteers to answer some questions and every week we'll feature a different volunteer.

Greensboro -- meet Daintry O'Brien:

Q: How long have you bee a Fun Fourth Volunteer?

DOB: Longer than I haven't

Q: What is your current position with FFF?

DOB: Food Vendor Czar! (Daintry makes sure all of the food vendors are operating within permitted rules -- health, fire and festival guidelines and takes care of any problems or concerns that the vendors may have during the Festival)

Q: What other positions have you filled?

DOB: Festival Director, Stadium Event Coordinator, Red Tape, I'm sure there are others but that's off the top of my head.

Q: Tell us a funny or interesting story of something that happened to you or something you saw at the Fun Fourth Festival.

DOB: Well there was the year the traffic cones for the road races went AWOL. The road crew got the delivery address mixed up. They told us it was delivered to 620 Elm Street. So we started driving down Elm Street Friday night, found over 150 orange traffic cones piled onto the front porch of 620 N. Elm Street!! Or the year the headliner band for the Block Party found the beer supply.....

Q: How did you come to be involved with the Fun Fourth Festival?
DOB: Betty Cone

Q: What is your favorite Fun Fourth food?

DOB: Funnel Cakes or Roasted Corn

Q: What is your favorite Fun Fourth Activity?

DOB: Love the Reenactors!!

Q: What is your favorite piece of patriotic music?

DOB: Stars and Stripes Forever

Q: If you could invite one of our Founding Fathers or Mothers to lunch who would that be and why?

DOB: Dolley Madison

A great big Thank You!!! to Daintry O'Brien for all that she does for the Fun Fourth Festival. When you are at the Festival eating your favorite food raise your funnel cake or roasted corn in a toast to Daintry!!.