HOISINGTON — When Hoisington’s Labor Day festivities took on a scaled-back appearance due to COVID-19 last year, Hoisington Chamber of Commerce Director Karen Baldyga said at the time she hoped 2021 would be a return to normal.
As the community prepares for its annual celebration this year, an excited Baldyga said this year’s milestone celebration would be, “better than normal.”
An event that started 125 years ago with a picnic and parade down by the railroad tracks is set this year for a four-day all-out celebration from Sept. 3-6, both of the culmination of summer, and a renewed appreciation of what the community could have lost last year.
“When you have a year taken away from you, we have to look at it as, ‘You know what, we’re lucky to have it,” she said.
However, instead of losing the event, Baldyga said lessons learned through the pandemic have served to make the event “bigger and better,” with several new events being borne of last year’s revised celebration. Much of this year’s event is possible, she said, because of unwavering community support.
“Because of people still stepping up last year to support us, we’re able to do more this year,” Baldyga said. “Without this community, we would not have (been able to bring) this back.”
Bigger and better
Several traditional Labor Day events will return this year.
The traditional carnival and midway will run throughout the weekend. The carnival will be hosted by WEEE Entertainment out of Ford, Kan. Baldyga said she is excited to have a trusted local carnival vendor this year, with many events around the area this year not having been as fortunate. Midway vendors will feature a wide variety of new and returning food offerings this year.
The KID STOP will also return this year, featuring turtle races, kids races, kids crafts, and Touch-a-Truck. These events will take place at the Hoisington Activity Center, and are free to the public.
Baldyga said broad community support and additional sponsorships are also increasing the size of this year’s Demolition Derby held on Sunday afternoon. The chamber has been able to offer larger purses in several classes due to an increase sponsorships from several different sources. In addition to traditional funding from community sponsorships, Baldyga said several drivers have attained additional support for prize purses from their own friends, family and local businesses. The total purse is now at $12,500 and the additional prize funding, she said, is already attracting additional drivers to the derby.
“We’re hoping to put on a really good show and get back to those big shows we used to put on back in the day,” she said.
Concert offerings have also expanded this year. Local band Homebrew will return for a live performance with the traditional Sunday night street dance. Additional local sponsorships have allowed for a Saturday night performance from Eli Mosley of Lakeland, Fla., with opening act Jadynce Schroeder from Great Bend. The Saturday night show will be followed by a fireworks display.
The 125th edition of the Labor Day Parade will also be larger this year, with Fort Riley Mounted Calvary and 1st Division Band kicking off the Monday Labor Day staple, along with the Hoisington American Legion Honor Guard. Baldyga said entries for the parade are still growing daily.
An event which made its debut in 2020 will also take a permanent place this year, with the Poker Run offering participants a chance to show off their beanbag tossing skills while at the same time supporting local Hoisington local business.
Also new this year will be a community-wide outdoor worship service Sunday morning at 9 a.m. with Pastor Troy Miller of Heartland Community Church of Great Bend speaking.
First Church of God, 601 E. 1st St., Hoisington will offer free family events on Saturday and Monday. There will be food, games for adults and kids, inflatables and several giveaways and speakers.
VIPs in attendance
Along with traditional events, this year’s milestone celebration will feature multiple VIPs, notable residents from Hoisington’s past.
Friday night, the weekend will feature a community barbecue, as the Hoisington Cardinals kick off their home football season hosting Pratt. Helping the Cardinals ring in the new season will be Hoisington native Doug Dumler, who went on to play in the NFL for five seasons in the 1970s, appearing in a Super Bowl with the Minnesota Vikings in 1976. He will be in attendance when the game is live-streamed on Main Street at the community barbecue from 7-9 p.m., with his jersey and NFC Championship rings on display.
Another VIP, author Patricia Watts, will be at the Hoisington Historical Society on Sunday, and will be a featured guest at the Historical Society’s ice cream social that afternoon. Watts grew up in Hoisington in the 1950s and ‘60s, and is known for her memoir “South of the Tracks,” chronicling her upbringing in Hoisington during a racially-charged period in American history.
The family of the late Billy Kimble, who starred in track and field at Hoisington High School in the 1960s, will also be on hand, representing him in the parade Monday morning and throughout the weekend’s festivities.
Several class reunions from both 2020 and 2021 will also take place as they traditionally do over Labor Day weekend in Hoisington.
“I think we’re going to have quite a few people from out of town here,” Baldyga said.
There will also be several events going on throughout the weekend across the community. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.hoisingtonkansas.com/labor-day-2021 or call the Hoisington Chamber, 620-653-4311.
