I am thrilled that Almost Friday Fest will return to the Muscatine riverfront this Thursday, May 27 starting at 5:00 p.m., featuring live music from one of my favorite local bands, First Impression! This event is free to attend and is the brainchild of Chris Boar and Brenda Christensen. Those two, plus the support from our wonderful local businesses, have ensured that AFF can once again take place at no cost to attend for Muscatine families. Personally, I’m honored to serve as emcee once again this year. All we need is good weather, which I’m hoping Mother Nature will provide!

I have to tell you, one of the highlights of my time spent in Muscatine was during the first year of AFF and standing on stage with over 1,500 people in attendance. My hope is that you’ll plan on attending at least one of the AFF events this year. You can see the entire lineup of entertainment at AlmostFridayFest.org or, on Facebook by searching “Keep Muscatine Beautiful.”

I’m going to pivot this column to recapping my family’s move. We are so happy to be in our new home and thankful to those who helped us get here safe and sound. That includes River City Moving & Delivery. I was so impressed with Jeff, Brad, and their crew. Those guys worked non-stop to ensure our belongings made it safely inside.

I also want to take a moment to thank our former next-door neighbors, Jim and Lorna Hasken. Odds are, you probably know them or remember their time spent at places like WFO and most recently, Hy-Vee. Jim and Lorna helped us out so much prior to our move out of the Spinning Wheel Court neighborhood.

Our kids are so happy to have more room to run around, and personally, I’m impressed with the number of steps I was taking per day just moving around the house! Sort of like having a home gym without the equipment!

I had last week off of work and was able to really spend time unpacking boxes, and for whatever reason, taking the four storage totes that seem to move house to house and storing them in a new location. One of these days, I’ll devote some time to sorting through them and trying to downsize.

The real estate market continues to be hot in and around the Muscatine area. If you’re in the process of buying or selling a home, I feel for you. I’m thankful to Dave Armstrong and The Armstrong Team with ReMax for making our process as stress-free as possible.

Here’s to a summer spent making memories in our new home and trying to meet all of our new neighbors. I’ll talk to you all next week or, hopefully, this Thursday during Almost Friday Fest! Bring the family and come have a great time along the beautiful riverfront in downtown Muscatine!