It was still known as the Prune Festival the first time he went. Whatever you call it, he hasn't missed a single one in decades. Most of you will know this festival as the Campbell Boogie Festival and Dan Henoch has been to every one since the 80's, a streak that will reach 38 consecutive appearances by the time this weekend is done. The festival has changed a lot in the 46 years it's been around and one man has seen most of those changes in person.
Dan's been a Campbell resident since 2004, but has been in the Bay Area since landing in San Rafael when his family moved from Indiana when he was 10 years old. His festival ironman streak started in 1987 when a neighbor of his asked him to go and he just kept returning. After 5 years of not missing the festival, he started to realize he had a streak going, but he didn't really get serious about it until it had reached a decade.
That was when he started documenting his streak. He wrote down the day(s) he went and who he went with along with the location where the festival was held that year. In his notes, you can see the festival location bouncing back and forth between Downtown Campbell, the Pruneyard, and the Community Center. The closest he got to breaking his streak was in 2004 when his mom was sick and he was only able to make an abbreviated appearance on his way to visiting her.
I asked him what his favorite memory of the early years was and he really enjoyed having the festival on the grass at the Campbell Community Center (which was then Campbell High School). He just liked the setting, but his favorite all time memory of the festival was one particular performance by the Johnny Neri Band. It was just so energetic, the crowd was really into it, and everyone was dancing.
When asked to summarize his experience, he said he loves it all... everything from the vendors and the musicians to the volunteers that make it happen. Campbell's just an awesome community and it's reflected in how much fun its festivals are. He's a lifelong diary keeper and he's relished being able to personally witness one little festival that he stumbled into as a young man evolve across decades.
Attached is a photo of Dan. You'll see him this weekend. Say hi and congratulate him on his unusual streak. Also in honor of Dan, I've included a photo of the Johnny Neri Band from a past appearance at Boogie.
Boogie: Campbell's Music Festival is a production of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce. The festival is coming up on May 17th and 18th in Downtown Campbell. Learn more about the festival at: campbellboogie.com.
Boogie: Campbell's Music Festival is a production of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce. The festival is coming up on May 17th and 18th in Downtown Campbell. Learn more about the festival at:...Read More
