About Destination Events

Let us tell you how this all got started! On Labor Day of 2021, Jean went to Connie’s for lunch. There were three vendors there selling things and lots and lots of people. It was so hard for people to get in to see what they were selling in their tent! Jean spoke with Connie Funkhouser and told her she needs more vendors. Connie said that she just enjoys running her restaurant and that she wouldn’t even know how to get more vendors or where to even begin! Thankfully, Jean knows how to do it and has done events for over 30 years. Connie encouraged Jean to do it and was so kind and offered her a location.

Well, let the journey begin.

Jean has worked almost a year on it. She contacted City of Island Park officials and community leaders and asked them what the busiest times in Island Park are. Their answer was Pioneer Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekends.

Jean is already heavily involved with the Rupert City Celebration on the 4th of July. So she decided to do the Island Park Festival twice a year. Pioneer day weekend and Labor Day weekend! Jean hopes this will become an annual tradition for the Island Park community! Jean would like to add more activities to the festival. Jean has a lot of ideas that she has been working on so it will get better and better.

A special thank you to the City of Island Park, Connie’s Restaurant, High Mountain Adventure, and Sawtelle Mountain Resort. Each of these organizations has been wonderful to work with. Please patronize these businesses because they have added to the success of this Festival.

Jean grew up around craft fairs and festivals her whole life. Her parents were vendors for many, many years and her Mother was the president of Idaho Craft Association, so she has learned to love these kind of things. Jean has been an event and wedding planner for 30 years. She owned her own business and just recently sold her large event and wedding business. She thought it would be exciting to start something up here in Island Park and just do a few destination weddings and the festival for fun and enjoyment! So, this is Jean’s new adventure. Jean has a cargo trailer in Island Park to rent tables and chairs and wedding items in the Island Park area as well.

Jean has done the staging for the Miss Idaho and Miss Utah pageants. She has done weddings for Disney stars and events for Bruce Willis and Demi Moore in Sun Valley. She has a degree in performing arts and has produced and directed many productions including “The Sound of Music,” “Music Man” and “Cinderella.

Get to know Jean and her Destination Events team at the next Island Park festival.