If you read our preview guide for the 75th anniversary Flaming Foliage Festival, held this past weekend in Renovo, one constant consensus is that Renovo is one of the most beautiful places on Earth — or at least that many of the queens have ever seen.

While it is perhaps fair to say that Renovo stacks up poorly against the likes of the Grand Canyon or Victoria Falls, those are also commensurately more difficult — and expensive — to reach.

Unfortunately, relatively little is left of the former industrial town. In what is a familiar story for much of rural America, especially through Appalachia and the Rust Belt, Renovo’s population declined from 4,621 in 1910 to 1,061 in 2020, per official census data. South Renovo added another 800 citizens to that 1910 sum, but just 411 in 2020.

Renovo and South Renovo had a combined 4500 citizens, rounded, when Flaming Foliage began in 1950.

That is quite a drop in manpower, to say nothing of money in decreased tax revenues, fewer host families and the other innumerable resources which go into putting on an event of the scope and scale of Flaming Foliage.

But, aside from its natural beauty, Renovo — consider South Renovo included for reduced verbosity — is replete with a key resource: an indomitable spirit of community.

It is through that essence of togetherness that Renovo, diminished as it is, can still put on the pre-eminent fall festival in not just Clinton County, but the surrounding area as well.

Queen candidates and their retinues attend from well over an hour away, making Flaming Foliage a truly regional event.

Every year, the Flaming Foliage event book is dedicated to a person or group of persons. It is fitting that this year, for the 75th anniversary, the book was dedicated to the Flaming Foliage Committee members, both past and present.

Running an event of this magnitude at all, let alone as smoothly as it tends to, is no mean feat. Members of the committee earn every accolade they receive and five more they don’t — and even that would be paltry considering the time, effort and value they selflessly invest.

It is a true testament to the power of a tightly-knit community, be it big or small.

We hope you got out and enjoyed the events in Renovo, especially on Saturday when the weather was basically perfect.

Here’s to 75 more — and beyond!