ORIGINALLY WRITTEN STAFF
Planners of the Hillsboro Folk Festival have added a half dozen new
attractions and enhanced several familiar features in an effort to
broaden the festival?s appeal as a celebration of the area?s
pioneer
past and progressive present.
New events at this year?s event, planned for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Saturday, May 27, include a quilt show, a classic car show, an
antique
tractor show, a certified bicycle criterium in downtown Hillsboro,
an
all-class high school reunion, and a professional dog show called
?America?s Trick Animals.?
The quilt show, sponsored by the Country Stitchers Guild, will
offer
more than 100 quilts and wall hangings owned by the women of
Marion
County. The car show, organized by the Route 56 Classic Cruisers,
will
include awards for the best entries, and the antique tractor show
will
display an assortment of vintage horsepower from yesteryear.
The ?heart? of the festival continues to be the city?s early days,
which is highlighted through the demonstration of a dozen or so
pioneer crafts, the popular Dutch-Low German ethnic meal, a
variety of
musical performers, and hourly tours of the historic Adobe House,
Friesen Dutch Mill and Kreutziger School.
This will be the second year for the ?Antique & Collectible Flea
Market,? which offers buyers pre-owned treasures and vintage
items.
Music has always been a popular feature of this festival, but this
year the performing styles have been broadened from gospel,
bluegrass
and instrumental ensembles to include folk groups, contemporary
bands
and even a ?musical saw.?
The day will begin even before 9 a.m. with the annual golf
tournament,
a 10-kilometer and two-mile run and walk, and a fly-in at the
local
airport. The latter has been enhanced this year with the
availability
of airplane rides for youth and adults, a visit from a Blackhawk
helicopter, and a display of motorcycles by the Christian
Motorcycle
Association.
Though activities for children have been offered in the past, this
year?s festival has made them a priority by offering more than a
dozen options, ranging from finding money in a haystack to face
painting, canoe rides and a fishing derby. Professional
story-teller
Naomi Gibbs will be performing, too.
The festival is held on several adjacent properties along D Street
(old U.S. Highway 56) in Hillsboro: Heritage Park, Memorial Park,
the
Marion County Fairgrounds and the municipal golf course and
airport.
Admission to the Folk Festival requires a $2 button, which can be
purchased in advance at participating Hillsboro businesses, or at
the
gate on Saturday. Children age 12 and under get in free.
Some of the events require preregistration and additional entry
fees
to participate. For more information, call the Hi
New, enhanced activities await Folk Festival goers
