Rock the night away at Rockingfest on the Square
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — Rockingfest on the Square is returning to LaFayette for a fifth year, along with the notable giant rocking horse, on Nov. 15, starting at 10 a.m.
“I started Rockingfest on the Square in 2020, and I wanted to have an event with a major impact in our community,” said Founder of Rockingfest and Executive Director of the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, Carrie Wood. “So I looked for something that would make a statement, and I found the world’s largest rocking horse. It is a company out of Illinois, and so I worked with them, took a leap of faith and contracted with them on not only the horse, but several other major attractions that they have. The event was a huge success, and we are proud to say that this is our fifth year.”
Along with the rocking horse, Wood said Rockingfest will host many vendors and food trucks where locals can kick off their Christmas shopping, along with other activities like a Santa Jump, climb and slide and more.
“Every year we have arts and crafts vendors and food vendors,” she said. “On top of that, this year we will have four major attractions spread out through the event. And of course, everything is free, parking is free. The only thing that our community needs to prepare for is if they want to come and eat good food, and of course, we want to encourage them to shop at the vendors and shop at our local stores downtown and the downtown area that will be open that day.”
Since kicking off the first Rockingfest on the Square, Wood said the event has grown significantly and locals ask throughout the year when the next one will be.
“I think we started with 60 vendors, and we got up to 120 vendors by the third year,” she said. “I have a lot of parents tell me that the kids are asking, ‘when’s the horse coming back, when’s the big horse coming back?’ I think it’s just to the point now that it is a tradition, and families come from all over, bringing their kids down to LaFayette on that day.”
Wood said as visitors and locals explore Rockingfest, she enjoys watching the children in awe of the rocking horse.
“We’re proud of that, and to watch the excitement on the kids’ faces throughout the day,” she said. “I mean, if you just stood there and sat in front of the horse alone. It is absolutely amazing to watch the [children’s] excitement when they walk up to it and see how massive it really is compared to them.”
Along with a great time of community and family fun, Wood said Rockingfest is also a great location for shopping small for Christmas gifts.
“It’s a way for [attendees] to get started on their Christmas shopping,” she said. “And then others, they may just attend the event, let their kids play all day and not really have to worry about anything financially. It’s amazing to sit there and watch people smiling, laughing and having a good time with their family without the burden of having to come out of their pocket for everything.”
Wood said the community pride and commerce create a positive experience for attendees and in the LaFayette economy. For more information on Rockingfest on the Square, visit www.greatervalleyarea.com.
“Once people come back, that is revenue pushed into our community, into our small businesses, and that is important, and that is the Chamber’s job overall, to support our small businesses as well as to have a healthy community,” she said. “I believe that when you give the community a sense of pride in something that they have and something they can do each year, it just builds a stronger community, stronger business and stronger people.”
