Centerburg Old Time Farming Festival returns this weekend

CENTERBURG — Centerburg is hosting another year of its old-time farming festival, filled with a parade, live bands, food contests and the chicken dance.

The theme for this year’s festival is “save our farmland,” festival secretary Annamarie Smith said.

Smith said all the bands are new for the festival’s 30th year with classic games making a return like tug-of-war and sack races.

For Smith, the festival is a jubilee in celebration of local farmers.

“Just in general it’s about the farmers,” she said. “We really need our farmers to stick around.”

Here’s the schedule:

Friday, Sept. 16

Security Starts
Horticulture Show registration until 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 17

Horticulture Show registration until Noon
Tractor/Machinery registration until Noon
10:00 a.m. Festival Parade through Centerburg to the Park
10:00 a.m. Kid’s Pony Rides until 6:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. Craft Show, Food Vendors, Horticulture Show, Historical Center & Old-fashioned Demos open
11:00 a.m. Flag Raising & Opening Ceremony with Centerburg High School Band
11:00 a.m. Parade awards presented
11:00 a.m. Quarters in the Sand
Pumpkin Vine Railroad kid’s train rides until 6:00 p.m.
Noon Newgrass Station, bluegrass band
Noon Calliope concert
Noon Horticulture Show registration ends
Noon Face Painting until 5:00 p.m.
Noon Games, sign-ups for contests begins
Noon Rex Naylor, Magician until 5:00 p.m.
Noon Horse-drawn Hayrides until 5:00 p.m.
Noon Kid’s Tug-o-war
12:30 p.m. Euchre Tournament for adults (18 & up)
Watermelon Seed-spitting Contest
1:00 p.m. Horticulture Show judging begins
1:00 p.m. Spelling Bee for grades 1-6 & 7-adult
1:00 p.m. Mini Indy registration
1:30 p.m. Sack Races for ages 6-adult
2:00 p.m. Mini Indy
2:00 p.m. Cake Walk for all ages
2:30 p.m. Blue Limestone Project, band
2:30 p.m. Tootsie Roll in-the-Hay Candy Hunt
2:30 p.m. Ciphering Match grades 1-adult (math)
3:00 p.m. Cookie Contest registration
3:30 p.m. Women’s Rolling Pin Throwing Contest
4:00 p.m. Cookie Contest judging starts
4:00 p.m. Old-fashioned Oratory Competition (speech)
4:00 p.m. Contests & Games, Horticulture Show, Historical Center & Old-fashioned Demos close
4:30 p.m. The Helmsman Quartet
5:00 p.m. Bale Toss
5:30 p.m. Chicken Dance
5:45 p.m. Cookie Contest results announced
5:45 p.m. Cookie Auction
6:00 p.m. Old-fashioned Pie Auction
6:00 p.m. Contests & Games, Horticulture Show, Historical Center & Old-fashioned Demos close
7:00 p.m. Electric Nights, band
10:00 p.m. Festival closes

Sunday, Sept. 18

9:00 a.m. Community Worship Service
10:00 a.m. Marian Myers Oldies and Sing-along
10:00 a.m. Railroad kid’s train rides until 3:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. Kid’s Pony Rides until 3:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. Craft Show, Food Vendors, Horticulture Show, Historical Center & Old-fashioned demos open
11:30 a.m. The Spangler Sisters with The Country Travelers Band
Noon Games, sign-ups for contests begin
Noon Family Tug-o-war
Noon Face Painting until 5:00 p.m.
Noon Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull sign-ups
Noon Rex Naylor, Magician until 5:00 p.m.
Horse-drawn Hayrides until 5:00 p.m.
12:30 p.m. Euchre Tournament for adults (18 & up)
12:30 p.m. Bubble Gum Bubble-blowing Blowout
1:00 p.m. Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pulls
1:00 p.m. Three-legged Races for all ages
1:00 p.m. FFA Challenge, Centerburg & Highland
1:30 p.m. Men’s Wrench Throwing Contest
2:00 p.m. Cedar Valley Cloggers
2:00 p.m. Cake Walk for all ages
2:30 p.m. Tootsie Roll in-the-Hay Candy Hunt
2:30 p.m. Nail Driving Contest
3:00 p.m. Tractors line up for Tractor Parade
3:30 p.m. Parade of Tractors through the Park
3:30 p.m. Cornhole Tournament begins
3:30 p.m. Husband-calling Contest
4:00 p.m. Arm Wrestling Contest
5:00 p.m. Festival Awards Ceremony
6:00 p.m. Festival Closes