Tonganoxie Days close to kickoff
This year’s Tonganoxie Days, scheduled for June 8 and 9, will provide a festive kick-off for summer.
The 16th annual festival will feature something for everyone, including food booths, arts and crafts vendors, a demolition derby, children’s games, a run/walk to benefit the Tonganoxie Library, and car and motorcycle shows.
“There will be more things for the kids this year, as far as games and that sort of thing,” said Connie Torneden, who is organizing the event on behalf of the Tonganoxie Chamber of Commerce. “We’ll have them in the intersection or on the sidewalk by First State Bank, along in that area. It’s the central gathering point. We are going to have a pony ride this year, too, that we have not had.”
Fourth Street, from Delaware to Shawnee streets, will be blocked so vendors and local business owners can set up booths along the sidewalk and in the street itself. Train rides will snake throughout the downtown area.
So far, Torneden said, spaces for about 50 booths have been reserved.
“That’s pretty good,” she said, “and we have a good variety of vendors.”
The booths will feature arts and crafts, as well as food.
The Leavenworth County State Barbecue Championship will begin to fire up on June 8.
“They get started late Friday afternoon, and get set up,” Torneden said. “They get it cooking overnight and they get really serious about it on Saturday. Judging is at noon on Saturday. It’s always neat to see how they set up their cookers and decorate everything.”
At VFW Park, a car show and motorcycle show will be under way again this year. And at 1 p.m., a demolition derby will roar into action at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.
A shuttle bus will provide rides, at no charge, to transport festival-goers from downtown to the fairgrounds and VFW Park.
A highlight of the entertainment lineup this year, Torneden said, will be country singer/songwriter Tim Clarrey, an Edwardsville native, who has his sights set on Nashville.
“He will be the last entertainment in the afternoon, and when he gets done with Tonganoxie Days, he’s going down to Glen’s Opry and perform that night,” Torneden said.
Here’s the lineup for entertainment on June 9 at Tonganoxie Days:
10 a.m.-10:45 a.m.: Star Struck Dance Studio performance, downtown.
11 a.m.-11:45 a.m.: Cowtown Cloggers of Lee’s Summit, Mo., performance, downtown.
12:15 p.m.-1 p.m.: Cowtown Cloggers perform at VFW Park.
1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.: StarSkeet Ballroom Dance Studio, singing and dancing, downtown.
2:45-4 p.m.: Tim Clarrey, new country music singer and songwriter, downtown. Clarrey also will perform at Glen’s Opry that evening.
8 p.m.-11 p.m.: dance at the 4-H Building at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds, with country-western music by Billy Spears.
Tonganoxie Days’ Highlights
June 8
Leavenworth County State Barbecue Championships begins at Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.
June 9
8 a.m.: Friends of the Library 10-K run and 5-K walk.
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: arts and crafts booths open, downtown.
10:45 a.m.: pet parade, downtown.
11 a.m.: children’s games begin downtown.
Noon, Leavenworth County State Barbecue Championships judging, Leavenworth County Fairgrounds. Winners announced at 1:30 p.m.
1 p.m.: demolition derby at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds.
8 p.m.-11 p.m.: dance, featuring country-western music by Billy Spears, Leavenworth County Fairgrounds 4-H Building.
Throughout the day on June 9:
Downtown: entertainment, food, train rides, children’s games, pet parade.
VFW Park: Country Cruisers’ Car Show and ABATE Motorcycle Show. Judging for the motorcycle show begins at 1 p.m.; winners announced at 3 p.m. Winners of the car show announced at 3:30 p.m.