Grotefest 2020

Back in around 1983, I was a young news director of this radio station and found myself living in Fairfield alone. I had some time on my hands…..when I had a couple of people talk up the Christmas display at the Paul Mullins farm in Ingraham. I listened.

I actually got in my car during a weeknight and drove up there. It was marvelous. Well if you haven’t noticed, the same thing is happening in Fairfield. Ken Otey reports he ran into a Carmi family at a local convenience store filling up on gasoline and grabbing food here before going by see the Halloween display at the Grote family home on South First Street. And Otey said they claimed there were other White County families on their way here.

Seeing the event was nothing short of incredible. We had a front row seat at our house across the street from the display. We had over 550 visitors and we had a third of the traffic entertained by the Grote family: Terry, Gayla and daughter Mercedes.

It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Hundreds of people parked along South First, which is also a state highway. I think the city is going to have to consider traffic and pedestrian control in future years.

I wonder if there’s not more that can be done here in town since Fairfield is becoming a Halloween destination. Maybe other organizations can take advantage of the Grote’s imagination and regional pull.