“Hometown Heritage” is the theme of the 2018 Missouri Day Festival, which takes place on Friday, Oct. 19 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 21.
A number of activities are planned at this year’s event, which gets under way with the traditional opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 at the First Baptist Church. Missouri Day Parade Grand Marshal Dr. John Holcomb will be recognized at the event, along with winners of the festival’s yard decorating, window decorating and children’s coloring/drawing contests. The Trenton High School singing group Gold Rush will also be performing.
The ceremonies will be preceded by a soup supper in the basement of the church, sponsored by the Trenton Area Ministerial Alliance. The eat-what-you-want, pay-what-you-want supper will take place from 5 to 7 p.m., with proceeds going to the Good Samaritan Fund, which provides utility assistance in Grundy County.
Vendors will be setting up and open for business at the Rock Barn and North Central Missouri Fair livestock pavillion area on Friday, beginning at noon until 8 o’clock that evening. Vendors will also be open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Also on Friday will be a baby show, sponsored by the Mothers of Preschoolers organization. The event will be held in the livestock pavillion of the Missouri Day Festival grounds, with registration at 5:30 p.m. and the show at 6 p.m. Children four years of age and under are eligible to participate. Children in the three- and four-year-old age groups will be competing for the title of Little Mister and Miss Missouri Day and will ride in the parade on Saturday morning. There is a $3 entry fee.
The North 65 Center will have a dance from 7 to 10 p.m. at the center, featuring the Silverado Band. Doors open at 6 p.m. There is a cost of $8 for adults and $3 for children under the age of 12.
Opening on Friday and continuing throughout the weekend will be the Missouri Days Quilt Show, which will be housed in the basement of the Wesley United Methodist Church. The show, featuring items made by members of the Scrappy Quilters Quilt Guild along with a special display of military quilts that will be sent to military personnel overseas during the Christmas holidays, will run from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $2.
Saturday’s schedule kicks off with a breakfast served by Trenton Masonic Lodge No. 111, AF&AM at the lodge hall from 6 to 11 a.m. The price is $5 for adults and $3 for childen age six and under.
The annual Missouri Day Festival Parade, sponsored by the Trenton Rotary Club, gets under way at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Entries will leave from the corner of Crowder Road and Main Street, traveling the traditional route on Main Street to Ninth Street, then east to Bulldog Avenue, where it continues north and disperses at Eastside Park.
Entries are still being accepted and can be made online through the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce website, trentonmochamber.com, clicking on the Missouri Day Festival tab, then clicking on the parade information tab. While there is no cost to have an entry (political entries will be required to pay $25), donations to help defray the cost for prizes will be accepted. Monetary prizes will be offered for “The Spirit of Missouri” (top overall entry – first and second prize will be awarded), best business entry, best organizational entry, best youth entry, best religious entry, best tractor entry, best car or truck pre-1960, best car or truck post-1960 and best equestrian entry.
Twenty-one of the 33 bands scheduled to take part in the Missouri Day Band Festival will be marching in the parade. The band festival will also include auxiliary and colorguard competitions throughout the day in the high school gymnasium as well as field show events at C.F. Russell Stadium, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Admission to the field show competition is $8 for adults and $3 for youth ages sixth grade and younger. Admission is free to the events at the high school.
Orscheln’s will have an antique tractor show immediately following the parade. There is no admission for the event, which will be held in the business’ parking lot.
Also after the parade will be a “Human Hamster Bowl,” sponsored by the Trenton Lions Club. School age youth (middle school/high school) will be dressed in inflatable attire, playing soccer. The event will take place on Johnson Field at the Ebbe Sports Complex. There will be an admission charge (to be announced) and refreshments will be available.
Black Silo Winery will host the Fast Tech Ordinance Ultimate Full Auto Experience, a shooting event to benefit the Black Silo Foundation. Shooting will take place at 11 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. and is limited to 30 persons (15 at each shoot). More information about the event is available on the winery’s Facebook page or by contacting Nate McKown at [email protected].
Shuttles to the festival grounds will be running 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday only from the parking lot of the First Baptist Church.
On Sunday, vendors will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the festival grounds. The Mic-O-Say Dancers will perform at 1 p.m. on the west walkway of the NCM Fairgrounds.
Trenton Elks Lodge No. 801 will hold a car show near the lodge hall in downtown Trenton on Sunday. Registration will take place from 8 to 11:30 a.m., with public viewing continuing throughout the day. Winners will be announced at 3 p.m. There will be 12 classes of competition along with prizes for “Best of Show”, “Best Interior” and “Best Paint.” The entry fee is $20 per vehicle.
In conjunction with the show, a cornhole tournament will be held. Teams of two will be able to compete for a $30 fee. Harry Kately and Vince Neal are the contact persons for both the car show and tournament.
The Grundy County Museum will be open on both Saturday and Sunday from
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