After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19 concerns, the After Harvest Festival will once again be “Hittin’ the Trail” in Ellinwood this year for its 48th year from July 14-17.
According to Jordan Waite with the Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce, this year’s AHF will return full force with a complete slate of events. This year’s theme, “Hittin’ the Trail,” will center around the area’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail.
While there were a few vendors who were still hesitant to come out, Waite said, for the most part the event will look just as it has in past years.
“Everybody (in the community) is excited to have AHF come back full blast,” Waite said. “Everyone is ready to get out and have some normalcy again.”
This year’s event kicks off Wednesday, July 14 with the Ellinwood School/Community Library featuring a display of popular books, movies and music from years past, in five-year increments, from 1961 forward. Also that day, Ellinwood businesses will be open late for Ladies’ Night Out, the Museum of Ellinwood will be open to visitors, and the city will host a Cruise Night beginning at 8 p.m.
On Thursday, July 15, the Chamber will host a community barbecue in the evening, junior corn hole tournament, homemade ice cream and pie social, and a family variety show which will feature dancers from Danceography in Great Bend. The Ellinwood American Legion will also host a live concert featuring the Salina-based trio, Soul Preachers.
Friday, July 16, will kick off with a Community breakfast at Ellinwood City Park. The Ellinwood Underground Tunnels will open for tours starting Friday at 1 p.m. and be open through Saturday. Also Friday and Saturday evenings, the Historic Wolf Hotel will host an Adult Comedy Show featuring multiple performers. The doors open at 7 p.m. with the show beginning at 8 p.m. Another Salina-based band, Sunset Sinners, will perform at the outdoor beer garden Friday night.
Saturday, July 17, will include a full list of events across town including a family 5K run/walk in the morning; a fishing derby, arm wrestling, horseshoe, golf and corn hole tournaments; an inflatable zone; free sno-cones,; pony and horse rides; turtle races; and a watermelon eating contest. Local musical artists Homebrew will play at the beer garden Saturday evening.
Events going on each day Thursday through Saturday include a carnival and an outdoor beer garden.
The feature event Saturday will be the annual After Harvest Festival Parade, beginning at 10 a.m. which annually features as many as 80 entries, said Parade Coordinator Rosie Joiner, who will also serve as Grand Marshal this year.
Those wishing to enter the parade need to submit an entry form by Friday, July 9. Entries are encouraged to follow this year’s theme celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail. Awards will be given in several categories, including all around winner, antique tractor, most original, best use of theme, youth, religious, antique cars, classic vehicles, antique truck, commercial, and class reunion entries.
Those wishing to enter can obtain entry forms from www.ellinwoodchamber.com, by email at paradeentry2@gmail.com, or by phone at 620-566-1054.
Waite said a full schedule of events should be available from the Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce soon.
Joiner selected as AHF Grand Marshal
As a member of the Ellinwood Rotary Club, Rosie Joiner has spent many years helping plan the annual After Harvest Festival Parade held on Saturday of each year’s festival.
This year, however, she was surprised to learn she had been selected by the Rotary to participate in this year’s parade as its Grand Marshal.
“I was very surprised because (the Rotary) had talked and we had a name, and I thought that’s who was going to be, and then they surprised me,” Joiner said.
Joiner, an Ellinwood native and lifetime resident who has been a member of the Rotary since 1998, and the parade’s coordinator for the past ten years, said she was honored to receive the nomination from her fellow Rotarians.
In addition to serving as past president of the Ellinwood Rotary and being selected as the Ellinwood Rotary’s Distinguished Citizen honor in 2017, Joiner has been active in many other capacities for many years in the Ellinwood community.
She volunteers for several community organizations, including the Ellinwood Food Bank and on various councils with St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ellinwood. As a member of the Ellinwood Garden Club, she helps maintain the city’s Rose Garden on Santa Fe Boulevard as well as the metal wheat shocks hanging from the light poles on Main Street. She is also a member of the Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce and Ellinwood Historical Society.
Joiner is a retired mother of two grown sons, Justin and Derek, and has been married to her husband Don for 50 years.
As a youngster she attended St. Joseph Catholic School, a school she still supports, and graduated from Ellinwood High School. She went on to attend Barton Community College and Fort Hays State University.
Now retired, Joiner worked in the insurance industry in Ellinwood for more than 40 years.
