“It was a splendiferous afternoon,” said Dave Wilderotter, Association board member.

The fun started at 1:00 with a fly-by by a ‘ultralight’ aircraft piloted by aerial photographer Paul Hamilton of Adventure Productions in Reno. He circled just off the beach and out over the lake ten times at an altitude of about 200 feet. The crowd cheered and waved as photos were taken on each pass.

One of the photos will be made into a commemorative poster that will be available for purchase, starting late in October. The sales of the posters will benefit the Tahoe City Downtown Association, the West Shore Association, and the North Tahoe Business Association.

A barbeque, sponsored by the Boosters Club of North Tahoe, followed the photo shoot. Organizers estimated that throughout the day they sold over 500 burgers.

“This was a huge success,” stated John Rutter of Pete & Peter’s, one of the sponsors.

At 3:00, the last of eleven outdoor concerts this summer began, featuring two local bands, The Beer Gardeners and The Lifters. Throughout the summer, the concerts have featured family entertainment by both local and major national touring bands.

“We wanted people to become familiar with the new park, the vibrant downtown area, and old-fashioned Sunday afternoons on the beach,” said Eric Brandt, the coordinator and Master of Ceremonies for the concert series. “The goal is to make it work for Tahoe City.”

Word on the street indicates that the plan worked as numerous merchants reported a boost in business surrounding the Sunday events.

The series was funded by the generous participation of the Tahoe City PUD and sponsorships by local merchants. Organizers have called the series “an absolute success” and are already busy planning for next summer’s performers.