Mayfest 2024
In 2024, Mayfest will be taking a break, as stated in a recent letter to the Editor. For updates and further details regarding Mayfest, kindly visit the festival's Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/mayfestfestival.
Mayfest History
Mayfest is a cherished community festival with a long history at the campus. In 2019, GROWTH brought Mayfest back to the campus and introduced itself to the Mount Carroll and surrounding area.
One of GROWTH's initial achievements after taking ownership of the campus was bringing Mayfest. Just weeks after acquiring the property, GROWTH worked with the festival organizers, and the Mayfest committee announced the festival's return to the campus on Memorial Day Weekend 2019.
Leading up to this, GROWTH launched a renaming campaign for the campus, inviting residents to vote and cast their choice of what the new campus name should be. Residents submitted ballots to the local newspaper where the ballots were collected and counted, resulting in a tie between two names. It was during Mayfest that the development's new name was decided upon between "Shimer Square" and "Shimer Woods" by a mere coin toss by Mount Carroll's Mayor Carl Bates, revealing the outcome officially renaming the campus as Shimer Square.
Despite a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the festival returned in both 2022 and 2023. In 2023, GROWTH further supported the festival by providing sponsorship support. In 2024, festival organizers announced that the festival would be taking a break while construction is underway on campus.
One of GROWTH's initial achievements after taking ownership of the campus was bringing Mayfest. Just weeks after acquiring the property, GROWTH worked with the festival organizers, and the Mayfest committee announced the festival's return to the campus on Memorial Day Weekend 2019.
Leading up to this, GROWTH launched a renaming campaign for the campus, inviting residents to vote and cast their choice of what the new campus name should be. Residents submitted ballots to the local newspaper where the ballots were collected and counted, resulting in a tie between two names. It was during Mayfest that the development's new name was decided upon between "Shimer Square" and "Shimer Woods" by a mere coin toss by Mount Carroll's Mayor Carl Bates, revealing the outcome officially renaming the campus as Shimer Square.
Despite a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the festival returned in both 2022 and 2023. In 2023, GROWTH further supported the festival by providing sponsorship support. In 2024, festival organizers announced that the festival would be taking a break while construction is underway on campus.
Mayfest 2022
Photo courtesy: Bob Watson, Carroll County Mirror-Democrat. Pictured from left to right: Beth Payne, Vice President for GROWTH,
Camlin Payne (Beth’s newborn baby boy in the stroller),
Charlotte Flickinger, Vice President for GROWTH,
Jane Schneider, Board Chair for GROWTH,
Frank Perez, Loan Officer for Bridge Investment Community Development Corporation,
Austin Stadelman, Constituent Advocate for Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17),
Carey Jorgensen, Director of Property Management for Home Base Property Management, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of GROWTH),
Carl Bates, Mayor for Mt. Carroll,
Cindy Berg, Chief Financial Officer for GROWTH,
Andrew Fisher, Construction Director for Growth General Contracting, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of GROWTH),
Norm Wallgren, Grounds Maintenance for Shimer Square/ GROWTH,
Brian Hollenback, President/CEO for GROWTH,
Jim Baranski, Architect at Baranski Hammer Moretta & Sheehy Architect & Planners,
James Jones, Housing Manager for GROWTH, and
Beth Baranski, Baranski Hammer Moretta & Sheehy Architect & Planners
Commencement Celebration
May 28, 2022
GROWTH invited the entire community to help celebrate the kick off of Shimer Square’s first redevelopment phase at Mayfest, an annual community festival that has been historically hosted on the Shimer Square campus. Mayor Carl Bates introduced Brian Hollenback, President/CEO of GROWTH where Brian updated the community on the redevelopment, announcing the official kick off for construction will begin fall 2022.
“This celebration acknowledges a culmination of many individuals’ tireless efforts over the last 3 years. Shimer Square’s development offers a fitting example of what a true community-based developer can do with local support,” says Mr. Hollenback. “This first phase of Shimer Square’s redevelopment will re-energize the heart of this beloved campus. We appreciate the community’s continued support and are truly privileged to bring this historic campus back to life, one phase at a time.”
“Today we commemorate the next great step in reconnecting Shimer Square to the heart of our community. Our beloved campus will now see investment and opportunities that will bring in new residents and businesses into our community. I have fully supported GROWTH and their efforts on this campus and am extremely excited to see the redevelopment plan being realized,” commented Mayor Carl Bates. Below are the videos announcing the effort:
“This celebration acknowledges a culmination of many individuals’ tireless efforts over the last 3 years. Shimer Square’s development offers a fitting example of what a true community-based developer can do with local support,” says Mr. Hollenback. “This first phase of Shimer Square’s redevelopment will re-energize the heart of this beloved campus. We appreciate the community’s continued support and are truly privileged to bring this historic campus back to life, one phase at a time.”
“Today we commemorate the next great step in reconnecting Shimer Square to the heart of our community. Our beloved campus will now see investment and opportunities that will bring in new residents and businesses into our community. I have fully supported GROWTH and their efforts on this campus and am extremely excited to see the redevelopment plan being realized,” commented Mayor Carl Bates. Below are the videos announcing the effort:
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