KLAMATH FALLS — Organizers of the Greater Klamath CityFest say the May 30 downtown celebration accomplished what they set out to do, engaging thousands of people through an afternoon and evening of free family activities, music, and ministry.
Co-chairman Doug Kirby said the goal was to reflect Jesus' love to the community, and that nearly everything at the event — outside of food — was free, with downtown restaurants offering specials of their own. Among the most popular draws were the bounce houses, the mechanical bull, and the horse rides. "Kids were grinning from ear-to-ear," Kirby said.
The festivities ran from 2 to 8:30 p.m. through the downtown core, with the family fun zone going until 6 p.m. and the evening shifting to Veterans Park for worship music, baptisms, and a concert by Ryan Stevenson. Kids also got up close with reptile encounters, and the stunt team's BMX riders sent riders flying over Main Street all afternoon.
Co-chairman Randy Shaw pointed to the spiritual side of the day: 81 people were baptized at Veterans Park, and another 24 baptisms took place at the county jail, where 29 people attended services. "There was a time when the church was the center of the community, where people gathered and worked together," Shaw said.
Kirby and Shaw said the CityFest team will gather soon to review what worked and what could improve as they consider what a future event might look like, and they credited the generosity of local individuals and businesses with making the day possible.
For more photos from the day, see Klamath Living's full CityFest 2026 photo recap in our June issue coverage.
