Of all the small town festivals in the Albert Lea area, one of the more robust ones has been Farm & City Days in New Richland. But the observance of this annual celebration was in question as New Richlanders were worried in January about the event’s future existence.

Farm & City Days chairwoman Amy Ihrke said a tight budget and a need for volunteers prompted the concerns. However, people and businesses stepped up to the plate, and after a meeting at The Willows on Jan. 20, the event organizers decided to keep going.

“A lot of people in a lot of organizations are finding their volunteer numbers are low. People have busy lives now,” Ihrke said.

For instance, one of the benefits of purchasing a Farm & City Days button is free admission to the pancake breakfast. About 300 or 400 people are fed. People without buttons pay at the entrance. It was a tradition that might have gone by the wayside, but businesses donated the needed funds, so it will continue for this summer.

“We’re going to roll with what we’ve got,” Ihrke said.

Farm & City Days is July 9-12 for 2010. The parade has been on Saturday evening for the past three years, but the committee in January decided to return it to Sunday, with entertainment after, “like it used to be,” she said.

Ihrke has headed up the Farm & City Days organizing committee for four or five years, she said. She has young children. All of the committee leaders are women with young children or women who have grandchildren. She said the festival could use more men to help with organizing.

In addition to leading the organizing committee, Ihrke is the chairwoman for publicity and for the carnival. Some of the other committee chairwomen are Gail Schmidt, parade; Carly Solland (of Blondie’s), street dance; Tanya Schlinger, concessions; Gail Johnson, car show; Karla Christopherson, kids events; Kim Schlaak, “New Richland Idol”; Jeanne Waldhauser, pancake breakfast; and Betty McShane, medallion hunt.

The next meeting for the Farm & City Days organizing committee will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at The Willows. People interested in helping out with the summer festival are urged to attend.