This weekend, downtown Ames will have a new life due to the ginkgo tree. The Ginkgo Festival will make its first appearance on Main Street and the surrounding area. The community should be commended for celebrating something as unique as the ginkgo tree.

Last year, the Ames community was up in arms about the fate of 16 ginkgo trees and their rotten putrid seeds that lined the downtown streets. By working together, the city came up with a solution that involves city workers hand picking the seeds before they ripen and stink while a money-generating celebration goes on around them.

Ames now has a celebration all of its own. “A Celebration of Laughter” should boost the Ames economy while giving the community a sense of pride.