07/29/2026
A Letter from the Executive Director
As I wrap up my first full year as Executive Director of Chaska River City Days, I simply want to say thank you.
When I stepped into this role a little over a year ago, I had a vision of building on the festival’s incredible 50-year legacy while bringing fresh ideas that would create new traditions for families across our community. Seeing thousands of people filling Lions Park all weekend long, supporting local businesses, making memories with their families, and celebrating together made all of the hard work worthwhile.
My goal has always been to create a festival that is creative, welcoming, and family-focused. Whether it was introducing new attractions, expanding entertainment, or creating more opportunities for local businesses and organizations to connect with our community, every decision was made with one purpose: bringing people together. Chaska River City Days belongs to the community, and we are proud to continue growing it into an event that reflects the incredible spirit of Chaska.
Thank you to our City of Chaska crews who put in countless extra hours before, during, and after the festival to prepare the park, keep it clean, and ensure everything ran safely. Your dedication often goes unseen, but it never goes unnoticed.
To our volunteers and community organizations…thank you. This year we were proud to donate more than $3,000 back to local organizations that generously gave their time. A special thank you to the Chaska High School Soccer Club, Chanhassen High School Cheerleading, and the Chaska Figure Skating Club. Whether you were directing parking, helping in the Kids Zone, monitoring bounce houses, or staying late to help with cleanup, you kept the festival running smoothly and made a tremendous difference.
To our Board Members, thank you for the countless hours you’ve invested throughout the year. Planning a festival of this size takes months of meetings, problem-solving, and behind-the-scenes work long before the first tent goes up.
Thank you also to the community members who stepped in throughout the weekend to empty garbage and recycling containers, helping keep our park clean and ensuring recyclable materials stayed out of the landfill. Those small acts made a big impact for everyone enjoying the festival.
I’m also incredibly grateful to our amazing community partners who helped create memorable experiences throughout the weekend. A special thank you to Storybook Entertainment for donating your time and bringing beloved characters to life through magical story times that created unforgettable moments for so many children and families.
Finally, thank you to every sponsor, vendor, performer, volunteer, board member, city employee, and every person who attended our 50th Anniversary celebration. Your support made this our biggest and most successful River City Days yet. We are excited to continue building on that momentum as we begin planning for 2027.
Thank you for believing in Chaska River City Days.
Marissa Held-Nordling
Executive Director
