DECATUR — Though there will definitely be a carnival, hot air balloons and car show during the Bulldog Days Festival Oct. 9, 10 and 11, the rest of the event is up in the air.

Parks and Recreation Committee members met last night - after press time - to make a final decision on whether or not there will a full blown Bulldog Days Festival this year.

No matter what is decided, there will be a carnival, hot air balloons and a car show, Mayor Bill Montgomery said at a Sept. 8 committee meeting.

Only five people came to the Sept. 8 meeting, including Montgomery and city councilman Trip Lapham. The committee has only one month to plan the festival.

When the committee met in August, Lapham assigned each member a task to complete, but only two of those members were present to report their progress at the Sept. 8 meeting.

"I don't know if we're gonna be able to pull it off," Montgomery said. The committee is going to need volunteers to help plan the festival and to work on the day of the event.

"If they (community members) like whatthey've seen in the past, then we need help," Montgomery said.

Lapham said he would contact the other committee members and ask them to meet on Tuesday - last night - to make final decisions about Bulldog Days.

"Tuesday is make it or break it," Lapham said.

So far, plans for a car show are already in place and the Decatur Fire Department has committed to selling drinks during the festival.

The committee members responsible for planning the other aspects of Bulldog Days - such as music, concession stands, the motorcycle show and poker run, and the fireworks show - were not present.

Rick Tilly reported he has been contacted by a carnival interested in setting up about 10 rides in the park during Bulldog Days. The carnival is fully insured and provides its own generators for the rides. It will only need access to electrical hook-ups for its two party jumpers, Tilly said.

"This carnival is as big or bigger than the one at the Benton County Fair," Montgomery said.

Since the Sept. 8 meeting, Montgomery has contacted the carnival and the hot air balloon owners and confirmed they will be in Decatur on Oct. 9 and 10.

"If we don't do anything at all, we can still have a car show and carnival, Montgomery said.

News, Pages 1 on 09/16/2009