Everybody Plays! will present a Summer Festival on Saturday, July 8, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Minch Park, 111 West St., Parkesburg. Proceeds from the event, which will include a car show, food truck vendors and children's activities, will benefit the community organization, which is looking to renovate the playground at Minch Park so that it is accessible to children of all abilities.

A highlight of the day will be the car show, which is open to vehicles of all makes and models, as well as motorcycles and tractors. Same-day registration will open at 3:30 p.m.

Trophies will be awarded for Best in Show, Best Classic, Best Muscle Car, Best Bike and Best Tractor, among other categories. Judges for the Best in Show contest will be members of the Keystone Valley Fire Department.

Food truck vendors will offer tacos, water ice, hot dogs, hamburgers and sandwiches, and there will be hot dog-eating and pie-eating contests.

For children, there will be carnival games, a water gun arena and a dunk tank. Most games will be nominally priced or by donation only. "We try to make sure that everything is accessible to everyone, even if they are low-income," said Sara Rice, Everybody Plays! committee member. "It is a hallmark of what we are - to be for everybody. It will be a really good time."

Rice, who is also a member of the Parkesburg Action Committee (PAC), noted that PAC will present Second on First, a new farmers market, which will debut on July 8 from 8 a.m. to noon. It will be open along First Avenue in Parkesburg on the second Saturday of each month. Everybody Plays! will have a table at the farmers market providing information about the organization and directing people to the festival later in the day.

Rice said the Summer Festival is designed to build on the success of Everybody Plays! Fall Festival held last October. "We raised about $3,000, and we had a turnout of 400 people. The park filled up," she reported.

According to Rice, the effort to renovate the playground began last fall. A plan was devised for the playground's main structure to be fully wheelchair-accessible and to include a merry-go-round and interactive play panels. The proposed playground would also feature a disc swing and an area for children with sensory issues who need a break from play.

A planning meeting was held last September at the Parkesburg VFW, during which residents were invited to share their thoughts about the proposed changes. "When we took it to the public, one of the things most requested was a water feature, so it has been expanded to include a splash pad," Rice said. "Kids in Parkesburg can cool off during the summer."

Everybody Plays! is currently fundraising for the park. "We have moved into the grant writing phase," Rice explained. "We are on target to hold a groundbreaking at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025," Rice said, adding. "We filed our incorporation papers in September, so in (almost a year) we have raised $10,000."

For more information about the project or the Summer Festival, email everybodyplays19365@gmail.com or search for "Everybody Plays" on Facebook.