The five-day Sundown Salute celebration in Junction City opened Friday night with DJ music, Ottoway Amusement Carnival rides, arts and crafts booths and multiple food vendors.
The crowd was estimated roughly at more than 2,500 people, possibly as high as 3,000.
One of the carnival rides drawing a lot of interest was “The Freak Out.” Sundown Salute Director Nikki Londene rode “The Freak Out.” “It’s a lot of fun, it really is. It goes a little higher than I remembered last year.” Londene said it’s not scary but “kind of grabs your stomach on the way down. You just kind of get off and whoo.”
The coordinator of the food vendors, Sam Niemczyk, said they offer items ranging from chicken on a stick to Greek food. “We’ve actually got pizza this year, pizza by the slice. We’ve got mini-doughnuts, new this year.” Funnel cake, slushies, snow cones, big turkey legs and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are all part of the food offerings in the vendor area in Heritage Park.
The volunteer executive director for the celebration, Dennis Beson, said he liked the diversity of turnout on the opening night. “We made a very concentrated effort to cater some different ethnicities. Along with our African American community we have very, very good representation in our Latin community tonight. And they turned out in good numbers.”
Sundown Salute continues Saturday through Tuesday. The headline concert performers, “Quiet Riot” will be on stage beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday. This group was known for their rock songs in the 1980’s. No original member remains in the band, but drummer Frankie Banali has been with Quiet Riot since the 1980’s. . Londene noted two of the songs most people will recognize will be “Come On Field of Noise and Mental Health. “They have a new album coming out in August and they’ve obviously regrouped with a new lead singer.” That singer is James Durbin.
Londene added the group has a new album coming out in August, and they’ll probably going to do some previews of that this weekend.”
Also performing in concert Saturday evening will be Madman’s Diary at 6 p.m. and The Banned at 7:30 p.m.