Bridgefest brings fun to Oil City

The conversation probably went a little something like this:

"I want to shut down the bridge and put a bunch of artists and crafters, a couple stages for music and bring some folks to serve beer and wine and we want everyone to have fun." Kay Woods to City council.

"..... crickets.... uh..... can we even do that?" City council to Woods.

But then the next thing you know Bridgefest was born. Kay Woods doesn't really settle for not taking a good idea and making it happen.

Woods said the idea took off after Kathy Bailey and The Main Street Program got the refurbished Center Street Bridge lit up with changing colored lights and had big party to celebrate on the bridge. Then a year later she and Woods combined forces for the two night event.

They not only, with the help of many others, shut down one bridge, they shut down two bridges and hundreds flocked in over two nights, one night on the Center Street Bridge for more youth oriented activities and the other a bit more raucous and adult on Veteran's Bridge with bands performing alternating sets on each end of the bridge with plenty of vendors in-between.

On Saturday afternoon several dozens of people turned into several hundreds of people as the band Dead Level began to perform and though you could be just about anywhere in the city to hear them, it seems most people preferred to be on the bridge.