Our's was last weekend, it's drying up slowly.
They had an Early Fall Festable years back' that fell by the wayside.
Irrigation days. Or as the locals that have to work during it....Irritation days. Like yours, it is nothing like it was when we were young....
Kaiser Norton
Mostly called lawn parties here. Hate em. It’s the one sure way to gather every single idiot in your locale in one location.
Had Great River Days in Muscatine and have Chief Wapello days and Rodeo in Wapello Iowa
Golden Days in Alaska’s golden heart city (Fairbanks).
Progress Days in Slowdotna.
Utah calls 'em 'Pioneer Days'
More like ' Pie & beer days'
We have community wide garage sale days here. Also apple festivals, fall festivals and maple festivals.
Grand parents were farmers in the Logan/Magnolia, IA area. As a kid I believe I was at every small town celebration (Logan, Magnolia, Woodbine, Mondamin, etc.) in the area. It's a shame they are all dying out. Young people today have no idea what it is to have a whole community come together to host those celebrations. It was a great time to be a kid!
Back in our home town it's been Independence Day as long as I remember. Big parade through town firemen's field days and chicken barbecue, fireworks the night before.... It like homecoming up there.
Ours is “Walleye Fest” the last weekend in April to celebrate the opening weekend of walleye fishing in the local tributaries after closing for the peak spawn run. Along with the tournament and cluster of guys with boats at the launches at midnight it’s turned into a town wide garage sale event in the neighborhoods, a kids trout pond derby, fireworks, parade, various venders, and a beer tent and carnival rides on the main strip through town. The weather’s always iffy that time of year but all in all it’s a fun event.
Old Settlers Reunion is ours. Every 5 years.
G23
I guess ours is Fall Foliage.
Posted this recently.
They do Fall Foliage Festival here.
Total fustercluck.
Chamber of Commerce runs it, of course.
Started decades ago, the main street, 1 block,
would be closed. Didn't affect any residents, only businesses. Who were the ones profiting from it.
Designed for local craftsmen to showcase
and sell items they make. Here. In our county.
Today, it cover 4 or 5 blocks.
Including residences. The city sells the stall space.
On property owned by residents. (There is right of way)
If you want to park in front of your home. On land you pay taxes
on, but has a public right of way. They tow you.
If, like the Catholic School, you want to run stalls to fund raise?
You pay the Chamber almost $1k per parking spot. On your land.
And the sidewalk. That you own and maintain. The school actually
uses their playground. Because they can't use their land.
The city "sold" it.
The vendors?
Less than 10% are in county.
Under 50% are from bordering counties. (I actually went through the listings once and tabulated it)
The merchandise?
Under half Is hand made. Much is imported stuff one can order.
Some still has Made in China on it.
The whole town is gridlocked. Anyplace a car can park, is parked full.
Many residents go away those weekends.
Otherwise they are trapped in their homes.
Why do these things?
Because the people who get to choose are the ones that profit from it.
No, it's not like when I was a kid.
Show up after church, park on the street and only need to walk a block
or two. Look at local made stuff, buy a hot sausage from the fire dept.
Now, they have paid parking at the fairgrounds,
run tour bus shuttles.
Park somewhere north of town and run school busses.
Way too much excitement for me.
Haven't went in years.
Tootlefest is what my home town calls it. Still doing things like turtle races, tractor pulls for all ages, all kinds of kids games all day, a parade, car show, etc.
They used to do a paper plate drop from an airplane. My dad was the one that used to fly the airplane, but that's about the only thing that they don't do any more because they can't find another pilot that wants to crop dust kids with paper plates I guess.
It used to be Del Shannon days, now it’s summer fest:
.
Del’s relatives wanted money to used Del’s name.
It is in 2 weeks.
Pioneer Days - they have a kickoff parade that starts at Cemetery and ends at the VFW - they reverse that route for Memorial day.
Next to the VFW they setup a fairgrounds of sorts with carnival rides and games. The smell of swamp ass, marijuana and funnel cakes fills the air for a week, then it goes away.
Its always been about the same in terms of draw year after year, this year might have been a bit more just because people wanted to get out of the house.
Official home town had a logger's day deal complete with skidder races. (Not a timberjack festival, just loggers). Can't recall what else. Ended in the early 80s.
Few years in a town in Alaska of about 500 that had Fairweather Day, down at the beach. The native guys roasted big 'ol foil-wrapped moose roasts in a log spit. Bunches of salmon too. Pretty good party.
We have community wide garage sale days here. Also apple festivals, fall festivals and maple festivals.
No FgkNBoomer festivals? You could head that up each year lately . LOL
Ours used to be Old Timer's day. Well it is still called that, but now it is a mexican celebration. this is just outside of Nashville, TN.
I guess ours is Fall Foliage.
Posted this recently.
They do Fall Foliage Festival here.
Total fustercluck.
Chamber of Commerce runs it, of course.
Started decades ago, the main street, 1 block,
would be closed. Didn't affect any residents, only businesses. Who were the ones profiting from it.
Designed for local craftsmen to showcase
and sell items they make. Here. In our county.
Today, it cover 4 or 5 blocks.
Including residences. The city sells the stall space.
On property owned by residents. (There is right of way)
If you want to park in front of your home. On land you pay taxes
on, but has a public right of way. They tow you.
If, like the Catholic School, you want to run stalls to fund raise?
You pay the Chamber almost $1k per parking spot. On your land.
And the sidewalk. That you own and maintain. The school actually
uses their playground. Because they can't use their land.
The city "sold" it.
The vendors?
Less than 10% are in county.
Under 50% are from bordering counties. (I actually went through the listings once and tabulated it)
The merchandise?
Under half Is hand made. Much is imported stuff one can order.
Some still has Made in China on it.
The whole town is gridlocked. Anyplace a car can park, is parked full.
Many residents go away those weekends.
Otherwise they are trapped in their homes.
Why do these things?
Because the people who get to choose are the ones that profit from it.
No, it's not like when I was a kid.
Show up after church, park on the street and only need to walk a block
or two. Look at local made stuff, buy a hot sausage from the fire dept.
Now, they have paid parking at the fairgrounds,
run tour bus shuttles.
Park somewhere north of town and run school busses.
Way too much excitement for me.
Haven't went in years.
you forgot the $8/gal cider and Asian Journey tribute band. that said, i go about every 3-4 years. i like the car show and food. the rest is as you say, chinese horschit being sold to city people who are "out in the country"
The Whiskey Rebellion in Berlin is close.
In the past, it didn't mean much to me.
Just a way for the Chamber to make money.
Had ancestors that were involved. But...whatever.
Today. It has more significance.
The last time I was back home during an annual town spring festival a couple of local natives decided to have a high noon shootout. A competing gang sort of thing in a next to nothing rural town.....
HUD housing, food stamps, and convenience stores......
Why they bother attempting to provide public education is another mystery
akersville has a real small one. smash burgers, cute little kids selling stuff they made. cheaper cider too. guy at the agway there makes it. last i got it from him was i think $3/gal
Basically just the county fair.
They do an "Agricultural Heritage Days" - with old school tech on a farm.
Bout it.
Small town - so most everyone who's worth talking to is in the bar on any given night. Hell, there's only 1 stop light in the entire county and none in my town.
Used ta have a pretty decent october fest here in clarkvegas thruout the 90,s.
That has lessoned alot probably gone entirely now.
Used ta be a pretty cool state fair come thru and a rodeo.
They made them go to the speed way on nowhere needmore rd IIRC.
Week of the Eagles up on post was huge back in the day tied in with the 4th of july.
Lame azz Riverfest on Riverside drive fughing up traffic is basically what we have now...
Homecoming next month. Old people are all dead now. Only a miniscule of original folk left in whole area. All outsiders now. Prefer to stay in the woods and creek bottom. Away from peoples. I have nothing in common with them.