ELLINWOOD — The 42-year tradition of After Harvest Festival gets underway Thursday in Ellinwood. The three-day celebration offers a carnival, musical entertainment, street dances and lots of family fun.
Thursday’s highlights include Business Olympics, Community Barbecue, Ice Cream Social, and live music in the outdoor beer garden.
There will be more live music and comedy shows on Friday and Saturday, as well as tours of the historic Wolf Hotel and Ellinwood’s Underground World.
Saturday will offer activities all day and all night, starting with a Super Hero 5K, the After Harvest Festival Parade, family fun fair, and lots of delicious food.
This year’s parade theme, “Hometown Heroes,” was inspired by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition, “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America,” that came to Ellinwood earlier this year.
Ellinwood After Harvest Festival events include:
THURSDAY
• 10 a.m. - Cardboard Boat Race, City Pool. For children ages 5-14. Entry Fee: non-perishable food items to be given to the Ellinwood Food Bank.
• 1-7 p.m. - Hole in One Competition, Hole 3 of Grove Park Golf Course. Proceeds go to the Ellinwood Football Team.
• 5-6 p.m. - Business Olympics, City Park.
• 5-7 p.m. - Community barbecue, City Park. $5 a plate.
• 5-7 p.m. - Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Social, City Park.
• 5 p.m. to midnight - AHF Outdoor Beer Garden, west side of City Park.
• 6:30-9 p.m. - Rusty Rierson and His Band, City Park. $5 at gate. No coolers.
• 7-11 p.m. - Weee Entertainment Carnival, northwest corner of town.
• 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. - Soul Preachers Band, Ellinwood American Legion. $5 Cover charge.
FRIDAY
Ellinwood After Harvest Festival
• 7-10 a.m. - Community Pancake Feed-Featuring Chris Cakes, west side of City Park. Freewill donation.
• 11 a.m. 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. - Tours of the Ellinwood Underground World and Historic Wolf Hotel. $10, Tours begin at Ellinwood Emporium.
• 5 p.m. to midnight - AHF Outdoor Beer Garden, west side of City Park.
• 7-11 p.m. - Weee Entertainment Carnival.
• 8 p.m. to midnight - Dance featuring Home Brew, City Park.
• 8 p.m. - Comedy Show, (7 p.m. social hour) - Historic Wolf Hotel
SATURDAY
Ellinwood After Harvest Festival
• 7:30 a.m. - Super Hero 5K/10K, City Park, 6th and Fritz. Wear Your Favorite Super Hero Costume. Sponsored by the Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce. Registration open 7 a.m. For more information call 620-242-3834.
• 7:30 a.m. - 38th Annual Kids Fishing Derby, Wolf Pond on K-96/U.S. 56. For more information call 620-564-3241.
• 9:30 a.m. - Kids Parade lineup at 6th and Main. For more information call 620-792-9553.
• 10 a.m. - After Harvest Festival Parade, Main Street, Presented by the Ellinwood Rotary Club. Theme: Hometown Heroes
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Family Fun Fair at Wolf Park - Kids Games, Food Vendors, Golden Belt Humane Society “Adopt-a-Pet,” Ellinwood Garden Club Quilt Drawing, Watersource Technology Drawing Registration for Hustler Lawnmower.
• 11 a.m. - Horseshoe Tournament registration opens, Wolf Pond. Competition begins at noon. For more information call 620-282-2230 or 620-617-7561.
• noon - Watermelon Eating Contest, Wolf Park.
• 1 p.m. - Kids Pedal Tractor Pull, Wolf Park. Registration at 12:30 p.m. Kids 4-12 years of age. Equipment provided by Dents Pedal Power.
• 1 p.m. - Golf Tournament, Grove Park Golf Course, 2-man scramble, shotgun start. For more information call 620-564-3123.
• 2:30 p.m. - Duck Race, City Pool. Sponsored by the Ellinwood Fire Department
• 5 p.m. to midnight - Kansas Sidewinders Outdoor Beer Garden, west side of City Park.
7-11 p.m. - Weee Entertainment Carnival.
• 8 p.m. - Comedy Show, (7 p.m. social hour), Historic Wolf Hotel
• 8 p.m. - midnight - AHF Dance Featuring Freddy Fox and the Hotrods, City Park. $5 gate, coolers allowed; no glass containers.
