Heralding 'New Era in an Old Tradition' at Troy Daze

Happy anticipation and hopeful enthusiasm charged the air during Friday night's opening ceremonies of the Troy Family Daze Festival on the grounds of the .

While the reincarnation of a long-time Troy tradition actually opened its gates to the public on Thursday, the festival was officially declared underway Friday night with patriotism and fanfare.

The Troy Community Chorus opened the ceremony by singing the Star Spangled Banner, as the Troy Athens High School Marching Band's trumpet section accompanied singers. The Boy Scouts of Pack 1720's color guard was given a flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol. A gift from Congressman Gary Peters, the flag was bestowed upon the Scouts by Rep. Martin Knollenberg.

Many of Troy’s leaders lent support with their presence. Members of the Troy School Board, City Council, and Mayor Louise Schilling sat on the stage alongside area politicians and members of the Troy Family Daze Planning Committee.

Master of Ceremonies Roop Raj, WJBK television reporter and  alumnus, spoke nostalgically as he recalled attending the fair as a child. 

"I couldn't wait to get back to Troy Daze," he said. "This is the definition of Americana." Raj volunteered at Troy Daze as a teenager, and later emceed the Miss Troy pageant.

Tom Kaszubski, president of the North Woodward Community Foundation and a key organizer of the Family Daze festival, said he hopes residents will embrace the festival as "a new family tradition." 

While the fair is smaller in scale than some previous years, many of the same vendors and attractions remain. Twenty-five carnival rides take up the south end of the parking lot, and food trucks offer the requisite festival fare, including corn dogs, pizza, elephant ears, freshly squeezed lemonade and ice cream. 

Community booths are back, too, allowing local businesses and organizations a chance to advertise and share their services. Troy-based Fusion Foods International, displayed all natural gourmet salsas and spices for tasting. Other booths featured home-based businesses, medical offices, and community programs and groups like the Elf Shelf Craft Fair, Troy Women’s Association and Leadership Troy.

Sue Samelak, a Troy resident of nearly 30 years, said she was especially pleased to see attention being given to the festival’s youngest visitors in Children’s Corner, a tent featuring games, story time and entertainment from a clown and a magician.

“It’s nice to see lots of stuff for kids to do,” she said. “It’s family friendly.”