Mayor announces Cultural Series program

CRESTVIEW — Mayor J.B. Whitten announced the creation of a Cultural Series program. The Mayor hopes the program will bring visual and performing arts events to Crestview.

The first event will be a multimedia commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Details for the event are not yet available.

“There are a lot of cultural things we can do on limited budgets,” Whitten said during a meeting of local cultural leaders earlier this month. “We have many resources, both human and facility-wise in Crestview. A lot of times it’s just a matter of coordinating and supporting our existing organizations’ efforts.

“Things like outdoor family movie nights are easy to hold, and are a big success in neighboring communities,” Whitten said. “We have a perfect space in Spanish Trail Park for something like that.”

Whitten met with Parks and Recreation Programs Manager Alisa Burleson, Friends of the Arts President Rae Schwartz and North Okaloosa Community Band founding member and former City Councilman Bob Allen to discuss ideas for the program.

Ideas such as holding downtown arts/music festivals, reviving Crestview’s community theatre troupe, holding local concerts-in-the-park and forming a community chorus were discussed during the meeting.

Whitten also met with Cecile Lindegren, one of the co-founders of the Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus, who embraced the idea of a community chorus for Crestview.

“I think it’s exciting,” Lindegren said. “This is great because we’re starting the program fresh and new.”

Residents are encouraged to offer their suggestions for events they’d like to see, including local resources that might not have come to city officials’ attention.

“These events are going to be combined efforts of local resources,” Mayor Whitten said. “The city will happily offer our available resources to make them happen.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Mayor announces Cultural Series program