Optimistic Day is a fair/festival held for Special Needs People — no matter what age or disability. It is free to special guest, their chaperone and families. This year’s event will be held Sunday, August 5, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Clinton County Fairgrounds on South Jackson Street. The day is come and go on your own schedule day.
“This is just like a county fair for everybody except this is specially done for people with special needs,” said Coordinator Lu Whitaker. “Most of the places these people go people look at them in funny ways and make derogatory comments. This place, they don’t. They’re just like every kid on the block and they have all the things to do everybody else does. Nobody pushes them or makes remarks and this is all geared to what they can do.”
Activities for the day includes rides around the fairground track in big trucks, fire trucks, police, sheriff and motorcycles. Entertainment consists of music, dancing, bingo games, clowns, face painting, balloons, cake walks, simple games with free prizes, pinatas, a dunk tank and more.Each special guest receives a registration tag and a bag to collect their goodies from the event.
The food menu for the day consists of spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, walking tacos, chips, dip, cookies, soft drinks, water and ice cream. The meal is served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Volunteers provide help the day before the event, the morning of the event, during the event and clean up after the event. The fairgrounds are wheelchair friendly and there are many helping hands to assist in pushing.
The event depends on donations in order to be held. Any financial donation, goods in kind such as prizes (stuffed animals, small items to giveaway — nothing breakable or glass) would be appreciated.
Whitaker said 68 special guests were at the first event and well over 300 attended last year. She said the year before they had about 400 special guests.
Whitaker also said this will be the last Optimistic Day held in Frankfort. Sunday’s event will mark the 20th year Whitaker has held the event.
“This will be the last one that will be held here in Frankfort,” she said. “It’s just a little bit too much and we’ll see what happens.”