Hillsboro Family Festival is Saturday
STAR-JOURNAL STAFF
An old Hillsboro favorite has a new name.
This Saturday marks the annual Hillsboro festival that draws young and old from around the area — but this year, instead of just celebrating the town's past, the festival will try to attract more of its future.
It's now called the Hillsboro Family Festival, and the fun starts Saturday morning at the Marion County fairgrounds.
Admission buttons will be available for $2 each at four different entry points. Kids middle school-age and under don't need a button. Maps will be handed out at the gates.
This year's festival marks a departure from the Hillsboro Folk Festival, which was in the past run exclusively by the Hillsboro Historical Society. But this year's event has drawn heavily on private volunteers, said Cari Garbo, festival coordinator.
It will also feature some of the standbys, such as butter-churning demonstrations and traditional German food.
"Everything they used to do they're still doing," Garbo said. "We're just trying to expand."
Garbo hopes to expand the festival by including more events and activities that will appeal to a younger crowd — specifically, free carnival rides, a petting zoo, and storytellers, which will be located southeast of the memorial baseball diamond.
And for those youngsters looking for a little fast and dirty fun, consider the new dirt bike track that will be located west of the tennis courts.
Local school district students have been hard at work constructing the area this week, Garbo said.
"Those kids worked their hearts out," she said.
Another new activity geared toward the younger generation is the arrival of the Marion County Experimental Aircraft Association.
The group will fly in their planes early in the morning, then offer free rides for schoolchildren until noon; then the older crowd can catch a ride for a donation. The aircraft association will be stationed at the airport.
A new display that might be of more interest to those historically minded is "Glimpses," a display of personal treasures and collectibles to be featured in the foods building. Various community members plan to share items such as military memorabilia and old Marion County postcards.
Other events include:
— Oklahoma Barnstormers stunt performance show, 1 and 3 p.m., north end of airport runway.
— Flea market, 4-H building and surrounding area.
— Route 56 Classic Cruisers car show, Memorial Park.
— Cowboy storytelling, 4 p.m., tent.
— Dirt bike performance, 5 p.m.
— Music: Paul Schleuhuber and Roma Becker, steel guitar, 10 a.m., pavillion; Sunflower Stompers, cloggers, 11:30 a.m., pavillion; Daydreams Edge, noon and 3:30 p.m., pavillion; Bud Fleming, banjo, 1 p.m., tent; Phat Cow, rock music, 1 p.m., pavillion; thumb, jazz group, 2 p.m., pavillion; community band, 3 p.m., pavillion
