When driving around the City of Ridgeland, you may notice the new banner designs that are attached to the light posts. Every six to seven years, the city refreshes their banner look with new designs.
There are many banners in the city’s collection. Keep Ridgeland Beautiful added two new banners several years ago in a partnership with Ridgeland Recreation and Parks. The first design is the Keep Ridgeland Beautiful logo with the goal of promoting awareness of keeping the city clean of litter. The second is to promote recycling by creating a Recycle Ranger banner, which is the mascot for the Ridgeland Recycle program.
Starting last winter, Ridgeland Recreation and Parks unveiled new seasonal banners – currently on display is the summer banner and the fall design will be the last to be unveiled.
“It was time to renew the banner design,” Sponsorships and Marketing Coordinator Rachel Collier said. “We also keep an eye on the number of banners needing to be replaced due to weather damage or sunlight fading.”
There are four new seasonal designs: spring, summer, fall and winter.
“We held a concept meeting and decided we wanted to point out life in Ridgeland,” Collier said. “Ridgeland Recreation and Parks has been hosting events in the community like Natchez Trace Century Ride and Celebrate America Balloon Glow for many years. We also wanted to point out the natural beauty of the Ross Barnett Reservoir, the Zinnia field and the Overlook with fishing and wildlife. Our clock tower welcomes visitors and citizens alike to Ridgeland. During the time of the winter banner, our actual clock towers will be decorated for the holidays.”
Each of these events is highlighted in the banners according to the season they are held in. A cyclist is featured in the spring banner as a nod to the Natchez Trace Century Ride along with the zinnia flowers. The hot air balloon can be seen on the current summer banner as well as the reservoir. The Overlook with fishing and wildlife will be featured in the fall and Ridgeland’s clock tower is on the winter banner.
“The banners are a visual of the great things about Ridgeland,” Director of Ridgeland Parks and Recreation John North said.
Assistant Superintendent for Ridgeland Recreation and Parks Tim Taylor oversees the vendor relationship for the production of the banners.
“He works closely with me and the community promotions coordinator on concept and design,” Collier said. “Once production is complete, Tim keeps the location map and sets the calendar for the change out for each season annually.”
The vendor Taylor works with is A Complete Flag Source, who prints these banners and also installs them.
“A Complete Flag Source has been a sponsor for Ridgeland Recreation and Parks for many years by donating one seasonal banner exchange,” Collier said.
They begin switching out these seasonal banners on the solstice date for each season. The Keep Ridgeland Beautiful and the Recycle Ranger banners remain in place year round.
“It is a fun way to be reminded of the season change,” Collier said.
There are approximately 70 city banners in total with 50 of them being seasonal and 20 Keep Ridgeland Beautiful banners. Most of the major intersections and roads have banners and can be seen along Lake Harbour extension all the way to Spillway Road, Rice Road and the Old Canton intersection. The banners are also along Jackson Street.
“I love how the banners are bright and add color to our city,” Taylor said.
Collier said the banners are a tasteful way to decorate the city and are there to welcome and remind visitors of where they are.
“Citizens can see the banners and recognize the familiarity of home,” Collier said. “The seasonal banner changes help people identify with the activities offered in our City at that time of year.”
She said it also allows people to have a sense of participation in the season even if they are wearing shorts in December.
“I remember as a kid riding through small towns and the main streets having banners, especially at holiday time,” Collier said. “Many traditions change and fade away. I like thinking of banners as an old tradition that we can still keep today. I also like the thought of the City being united as a community by one seasonal banner.”
