One of the mantras in recent years surrounding the town’s economic development goals has been conducting and promoting more special events in our downtown area.

Much like the Super Bowl and many other large functions held throughout the Valley of the Sun, the thought process is these types of events help attract visitors who spend money on hotels, restaurants, shops, etc.

The more exposure we get in Fountain Hills through special events the better it is for our town coffers, our businesses and our mission of educating visitors about all the lifestyle benefits of living, working and playing in Fountain Hills.

From our observations, the town has been judicious over the years in terms of its under-lying financial support of outside events. Most special events typically have to pay for the infrastructure needs to support those activities -- fencing, security, additional bathrooms, lighting, etc.

While some were questioning if the Chinese Lantern Festival was really going to happen or not, it’s now obvious the festival will open Friday. This unique display that started going up late last week has created a buzz around town. We’re hoping the festival is a big success for the organizers, for the Town of Fountain Hills and for our downtown merchants.

Let’s get behind this effort and see what happens. There will be some inconveniences for those who are used to certain downtown routines, but we’re hopeful in the final analysis that the benefits will far outweigh any potential negatives.