| 7/31/2009 12:24:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | Busy weekend for Wapsi Days
Casandra Leff
Editor
Come one, come all this weekend, July 31 through August 2 for Riceville's annual Wapsi Days celebration! This year's event, from Friday evening until Sunday morning will be filled with events that people of all ages can enjoy.
Friday night will kick off with a pre-teen and teen dance at City Park, featuring KROC 106.9 FM - Music on Wheels. The pre-teen dance will run from 7-9 p.m., and the teen dance will be from 9-11 p.m. Cost for each event will be $3.00. These are tobacco and alcohol-free events! Kids say that "there is nothing to do in Riceville." Well, this is an opportunity to have fun with DJ's that know what kids enjoy at a modest cost.
Also, on Friday evening and into Saturday, a slow-pitch softball tournament will be held at the Arlin Schreiber Field, next to Lake Hendricks.
Saturday, there will be events going on throughout the day, both around City Park and at the Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail's Welcome Center. At the welcome center, there will be a Community Pancake Breakfast, from 7:00 to 10:30 a.m. At 8:00 will be the First Annual Wapsi Race, with registration taking place at 7:30. The WGWL Poker Walk and Trail Treasure Hunt will start at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until 10:30 a.m.
From 8:30 to 4:00, don't forget to get your bids in for the WGWL's silent auction. Bidding has been on-going all summer, but it will end at 4:00. Also, at 9:00 a.m., there will be a free kids' Fun Run at the Wapsi Trail. Anyone interested in any of these events should call Elaine Govern at (641) 220-2685.
From 9:00 to 11:30, don't forget to check out Riceville's Farmers Market, located at the southwest corner of Main Street and Walnut Street. Several local vendors have been selling fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods and more there all summer.
This year's Wapsi Days Parade will be at 11 a.m. Saturday. Parade entries will line up at Riceville Community School before the parade. Anyone who has not yet registered for the parade can call Mark Goeke at (641) 985-2016 or (641) 985-4083.
On Friday and Saturday, several local families will be holding garage sales, as part of Riceville's City-Wide Garage Sales. Immediately following the parade, the Riceville Fire Department will be hosting a barbecue chicken dinner at the new fire station, and the Methodist Church will be serving lunch at the church. The Riceville Kiwanis will serve brats at the block building, and there will be several vendors at City Park. Anyone who has not yet signed up to be a vendor, but is interested in doing so, should call Betty Borchardt at (641) 220-4343 as soon as possible.
Also following the parade, Kid Again inflatables will be available at City Park, starting at noon. A key attraction will be the Jurassic Survivor Obstacle Course providing non-stop fun, excitement and thrills for people of all ages. It features an obstacle course eighty feet long, filled width rock climbs, tunnels, squeeze walls, plus a 16 foot slide. At the Velcro Wall dress up in a Velcro suit, get a running start and launch yourself onto a Velco covered wall. Who can stick on the wall at the highest point? Participants for these two activities must be at least 42" tall with a maximum height of 76" and a maximum weight of 250 lbs. For kids less than 42" tall there is the Safari Toddler Zone. Enter through the tiger's mouth, climb on the giant lady bug, crawl over the hippopotamus bridge and tackle the safari hunters, all the while having fun bouncing and crawling. Afternoon festivities will kick off with the Tractor and Antique Farm Equipment Show on Woodland Avenue and the Car Show on Fourth Street, in the first block east of Woodland Avenue. Both events will run from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Mike O'Donnell (641-220-5838) is in charge of the tractor show, and Dan Evans (507-273-8847) is in charge of the car show.
Starting at 1:00, Tim Howland will play music at City Park. There will be a Kids' Carnival from 1:00-3:00, and Bingo will be played in air conditioned comfort at the library's Multi-Purpose Room from 1:00-4:00.
The WGWL Welcome Center will be hosting a Community Sing, starting at 2:00 p.m. Spectrum, a group consisting of members Anna Mae Roethler, Margaret Jordan and Shirley Brown will lead the singing. The horseshoe pitching tournament will also start at 2:00, and free watermelon, donated by the Riceville Recorder will also be served.
Riceville Family Care & Therapy Center will be hosting its second Cutest Baby Contest at 3:00. Babies from one month to 18 months are eligible to register. Anyone with questions may call Shelly at (641) 985-2606.
A Kids' Coin Dig will be at 3:30 at City Park, and at 4:30 will be the State-Sanctioned Kids' Tractor Pull for kids from 4-11. The tractor pull will take place on Woodland Avenue. A pull for anyone between the ages of 12 and 17 will follow.
From 4:30-6:30 p.m., the Riceville High School junior class will be hosting a supper at the school parking lot, serving chicken sandwiches and more. The group Tonic Sol-Fa will be performing at the Riceville Athletic Fields at 6:30. Sol-fa is one of the hottest performing musical groups to come out of the Midwest, performing at sold out audiences of all ages and musical tastes. A typical Tonic So-fa show includes a little of everything from modern pop hits to classic oldies, country, award-winning originals, even comedy parodies and cartoons. There will also be food vendors on hand.
In the event of rain, the concert will be held inside the school. Anyone with questions can contact Heather Christensen at (641) 740-0231.
There will be a Mass at the Immaculate Conception Church at 5:00 p.m.
The Fifth Wapsi Day Tractor Ride will take place, starting at 7:15 a.m. Sunday morning This event is a 70-mile, two state trip, starting and ending at Andy's Mini-Mart in Riceville. For more information, contact O'Donnell at (641) 220-5838.
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