Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1462379
12 • 2021 Dogwood Festival Q: Tell us about your role as the Dogwood Festival Coordinator. Being the Dogwood Festival Coordinator is one of my favorite parts of this job. It's such an honor to work with our amazing committee and Chamber Staff to plan this event. We work all year, and then to have the opportunity to get to know all the vendors who come in to spend the weekend with us! There is a lot that goes into this role, including approving applications, determining events, scheduling entertainment, and managing volunteers, but it's so much fun! The best part of being the Dogwood Festival Coordinator is when all the booths are set, the festival is going, and watching the community come together and embrace the vendors and the activities. I remember coming to the festival as a kid, and getting to help plan it and see a new generation of kids and families enjoy the festival as much as I always have makes all the hard work worth it! Q: How long have you worked with the Chamber? I've been with the Chamber since December 2020, and this will be my 2nd year as Dogwood Festival Coordinator. Q: What's new at the Dogwood Festival this year? Every year, there are always new food, fun zone, and vendor booths, which is exciting! This year, to name a couple, we are welcoming a Mac & Cheese truck, which I'm sure will be a fan favorite, and we have a new activity called GellyBall, which is like Paintball without the paint and without the pain! Everyone should be sure to check that out in the Kenneth Gutierrez Fun Zone! We also have a couple of new events, including a Pancake Eating Contest, sponsored by IHOP and the Dogwood Doxie Relays, which is a fundraiser for Tailwaggers and is a dachshund race! Both events are happening on Saturday! Q: What's your personal connection with Siloam Springs? My family moved to Siloam Springs when I was five, so it's really the only home I know. I grew up here, and graduated from Siloam Springs High School and John Brown University. I met my husband here, I work here, I go to church here, and I raise my family here. My kids go to school in the same schools I did - and even have some of the same teachers! We love to explore the walking trails around town and kayak on City Lake. Siloam Springs is a special place, and I love having the opportunity to share that with new businesses and new families moving to town. Q: What do you think makes Siloam Springs special? There's still a small town, welcoming feel to Siloam Springs. When I have friends and family come visit, they feel it too, and they want to come back. From the small locally-owned businesses, to the outdoor activities we have, to our beautiful downtown, and everything in between, you just can't beat this community. While we continue to see Siloam Springs grow, the charming things I love about this town are still there. You can walk through downtown and people wave when you pass. You can still go to lunch on a Sunday after church, and run into lots of people that you know. I can't think of a better community to live, work, and play! Q & a with Lindsey taylor Director of Community Development, Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce and Dogwood Festival Coordinator