Rainbow Park Ice Cream social June 19

Darlene Loudon and the Southside Boosters club are putting on their 15th Rainbow Park Ice Cream social June 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., but Loudon has been raising funds for Rainbow park restoration for 20 years.

“I took over rainbow park to keep them from tearing the stuff out 20 years ago, and they were going to build a house,” Loudon said. “So, when I found out about it, I said something has to be done.”

The ice cream social will have a classic car show, a country music concert and military-themed paintings to honor the origins of Rainbow Park. The family of deceased Southside Booster Ronnie Eblen had donated four bicycles, which can be won as prizes.

Rainbow Park began as training grounds for the 42nd Infantry “Rainbow” Division in the U.S. Army.

“This park is over 125 years old, and this is where some of the military men had trained and one of the people that’s going to get up and give a speech about it, the Rainbow Division, that’s where Rainbow Park got it’s name is with this rainbow division with the military,” Loudon said.

Over the years the fundraiser has helped put in new flagpoles, a large roof on the new shelter house, trees, barbecue grills and benches. The Boosters did acquire a new door for the bandstand, however, it was vandalized in the winter, so the event will go toward providing a new one.

The Rainbow Park Ice Cream social will be held 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.