The 2011 annual Black Forest Festival, hosted by the Black Forest Community Club, will be held Saturday, Aug 13. This community event draws crowds from not only Black Forest but also the greater Colorado Springs area.The event kicks off at 6:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast followed by a parade at 10:30 a.m. Jon Karroll of KRDO TV Channel 13 will once again be the parade announcer. Event activities will end at 3 p.m.”This should be one of our best festivals ever,” said Eddie Bracken, BFCC president and this year’s festival chairman, “We have something for the whole family. Our theme is ‘Everyone in the Forest is Family’ and we’d like everyone who attends to feel the same way!”Also featured will be the U.S. Air Force Academy’s country and western group, “Wild Blue Country,” that just returned from a tour in Iraq and Afghanistan. They will perform at noon at the festival bandstand.There will be a flea market featuring commercial and neighborhood sellers; food booths, ranging from fancy foods to more traditional hot dogs and hamburgers; games for the kids and many other surprises. Flea market booths are still available for rent and can be reserved on the Web site at http://bfcommunityclub.org.ParkingOff-site parking will be in the area of the Burgess/Black Forest Road intersection at the gravel lot on the northeast corner; as well as the Spirit Keeper lot. There will be continuous shuttle service from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. between those lots and the festival site at Shoup and Black Forest Road. Pick up points will be marked. Close-in parking is allowed until filled or until road closures for the parade have gone into effect. Close-in parking will be available at portions of the Lutheran Church parking lot, the LDS Church parking lot and at the gravel lot behind Black Forest businesses on the southwest corner of the Shoup/Black Forest Road intersection. If you are approaching the festival area and find the road closed, or the close-in lots are full, drive to Black Forest Road and Burgess Road, park and catch the shuttle into the festival area. Several Black Forest businesses are generously sponsoring the shuttle service for this year’s festival.
