A season of celebrations: Felix Grundy Festival, Stout Freedom Fest to be held this weekend

GRUNDY COUNTY - This weekend promises to be a busy one across the county, with the annual Felix Grundy Festival and Stout Freedom both set for this weekend, where locals are sure to get their fix of food, sun and festival fun!

 

Here in Grundy Center, the Felix Grundy Festival will kick off on Thursday with the Grundy Center Sports Hall of Fame golf tournament at 12:30 p.m., and the Thirsty Thursday with a Bang event at the Town and Country Golf Course from 7 to 11 p.m., complete with live music from the band Urban Legend and a fireworks show after dark.

 

Friday festivities will start early, with food vendors, carnival rides and kids activities beginning on the courthouse lawn around noon. New this year, festival-goers can enjoy watching or participating in human foosball.

 

Don’t miss the Opening Ceremonies at 6 p.m. on Friday, where Little Miss and Mr. Felix Grundy will be crowned. Big wheel races, a bags tournament, gazebo entertainment and a beverage garden will follow throughout the night.

 

On Saturday, festival-goers can fuel up at the annual Community Breakfast Fundraiser at the GCHS Commons, from 7:30 to 10 a.m. All proceeds from the breakfast go to provide local students with scholarships. Next is the YMCA’s annual 5k/10k beginning at 8 a.m., followed by a GCHS alumni softball scrimmage at the sports complex from 10 a.m. to noon, the Meyers Home Improvement Golf Tournament at 10 a.m. and a performance by New Horizons Band at the High School Auditorium from 10 to 11 a.m. Afterwards, head to 8th Street to check out the annual Car Show, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you like shopping, the Vintage Market has something for everyone - from handmade arts and crafts to vintage and repurposed finds. The market will be set up on the courthouse lawn from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

A brand new event at this year’s festival, called Grundy Center Rocks, will offer a bit of creative fun for people of all ages. Paint your own rock at the booth, and once it dries, the rocks will be displayed for everyone to see. This event is part of a new initiative to bring more public art to town, while encouraging locals to show off their creativity.

 

Carnival rides, food vendors and gazebo entertainment galore will be available throughout the day on Saturday, with the Grand Parade beginning at 4 p.m. Finish the night by checking out The Pork Tornadoes, who will be playing at the beverage garden from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

 

For the full list of events and times, see the Felix Grundy Festival special section inserted into this week’s paper, or check out the Felix Grundy Festival website at www.felixgrundyfestival.com/

 

Plenty of entertainment can be found over in Stout as well, where locals will be celebrating the annual Stout Freedom Fest with a weekend full of fun for people of all ages. On Friday, the Church League’s first softball tournament of the year will be held at the Stout Astrodome, beginning around 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to come to the ball diamond and watch the tournament, and check out the newly remodeled concession stands, which will be serving food, beverages and the famous Stout Stuffer banana split. On Saturday, there will be ball games at the Stout Astrodome all day, beginning at 9 a.m. For the youngsters, there will be activities in the park, including a slip and slide, and the Bill Riley Talent Show will be held at the Stout Reformed Church at 3 p.m. The festivities on Saturday night will wrap up with a spectacular fireworks show after dark. Don’t miss out on the festival fun this weekend in Grundy Center and Stout!

The Grundy Register

601 G. Avenue - P.O. Box 245
Grundy Center, IA 50638
Telephone: 1-319-824-6958
Fax: 1-800-340-0805

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