The 69th annual Harlan Days Festival is finally here! There will be many of the old favorites such as the donut tent, carnival rides, 22nd annual Cruise-In car show, 5K Harlan Hustle fun run, basketball tourney, softball tourney, cornhole tourney, Grand Parade, kid’s parade, craft and merchant tent, bingo, free t-shirt giveaways, a raffle for a 2016 Chevy Spark, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, and the Harlan Lions hamburger tent. And of course, the food tent will be serving up some tasty food. Pork chops, bratwurst, hot dogs, and many side dishes will be offered on Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday, they will be serving BBQ chicken halves.
Be sure to clip the coupon on page 10 from this week’s paper for a free hot dog on Thursday only. The coupon is only in the printed newspaper. Pick a newspaper with coupon up for free at one of the many locations here: Hurry over before it’s all gone!
There will also be many NEW events to enjoy this year! Check out the hot air balloon rides, monster truck rides, Monster Truck Smash ‘Em Show, 4×4 Mud Bog Drag, 4×4 Tough Truck Competition, hands-on excavator exhibit, roller hockey tourney, open mic and karaoke contest, home run derby contest, free petting zoo and game tent for kids, kid’s kickball tourney, HD16 teen dance in the shelter house, and the farmer’s market. Don’t forget the free family night on Thursday!
On Friday evening, you’ll want to see the 4×4 Mud Bog Drags where the biggest and nastiest trucks in the tri-state region race for glory. You won’t believe the high octane, mudslinging action and the fierce competition of this event. Will you be the driver who will hoist the Harlan Hogg Trophy? There’s only one way to find out! The Monster Truck Smash ‘Em Show on Saturday will be an event you won’t forget. No need to go to the big city to see these colossal beasts, because Harlan Days is bringing them to you for one night only. These high-flying trucks will jump, smash, and crush anything in their way. Bring the kids, grandkids, and grandma out to see these Chicago- style, car-crushing, and bone-rattling trucks. You won’t want to miss a minute!
The live music line-up for Harlan Days 2016 is great! For the first time, Harlan Days will be kicking off the festival on Thursday evening by welcoming the ‘Sunday Morning Road Show’. Sit back and enjoy upbeat and uplifting Christian music by some of the most talented performers from four area ministries.
Carmichael, a five-piece band out of Indianapolis, will be performing Friday night. Its members are: Eric Carmichael on guitar and vocals, Nick Christie on guitar and vocals, Lindsay Harness on upright bass and vocals, Costin Ritter on drums and percussion, and Jamie Mahan on keys. Carmichael creates unique and varied musical pieces that challenge the band’s genre categorization. Their catalogue has been categorized as Rock, Alternative Country, Americana, Soul, Alternative, and Indie Rock among other genres. Alongside their refined harmonies, noteworthy musicianship, and varied styles, Carmichael’s songs offer a deeper region of examination and reflection for its listeners. Learn more about Carmichael at www.carmichaeltheband.com.
Joining the stage with Carmichael on Friday night will be the Young Kingdom band. This band is a modern rock band that is also out of Indianapolis. Formed in the summer of 2015, Young Kingdom quickly became a local sensation. The band is comprised of members: Cale Gerlach on guitar and vocals, Delaney Gardner on lead guitar, Jake Ferrill on drums, and Tyler Featherston on bass guitar. Their self-titled EP, “Young Kingdom” was recorded and produced at the Music Garage Studios in Indy in December 2015 and is now available to listen to on ReverbeNation, iTunes, and Spotify. Check the band out at www.youngkingdomindy.com. On Saturday evening, we welcome Adam Strack out of Fort Wayne. Adam performs a variety of musical styles including Classical Rock, Alternative Rock, Reggae, Country, and Bluegrass. He has played all over northern Indiana including: The Embassy, Three Rivers Festival, Parkview Stadium, The Phoenix, Columbia Street West, Country Heritage Winery, and more. Find out more about Adam’s music at www.adamstrack.com.
The Grand Parade is on Saturday morning and will feature Curtis Smith (see below) as the Grand Marshall. Curtis was formerly with 21 Alive and is now the Community Outreach Coordinator at Parkview Hospital North.
Our Honorary Citizen for 2016 is Pat Connor of Harlan (More info below). Pat has served on the Harlan Park board for over 40 years and has also volunteered in many ways with Harlan Days. In addition to Curtis and Pat being in the parade, there will be the Shriner’s Bagpipes, Mafia Mudslide’s monster trucks, marching bands, floats, and the legendary ‘Skunk Mountain Boyz’.
Remember to keep an eye out for the motorized paraglider that will be making its appearance high above the parade! Come out on Saturday morning, find a good seat along the parade route, and wave at everyone who goes by! This year’s Harlan Days Festival will be a blast! We hope to see you there! For more event details, please visit our website at www.harlandays.com.
Curtis Smith to be Grand Marshal
Harlan Days is proud to announce that Curtis Smith will be the Grand Marshal for the year’s grand parade! Curtis Smith is the Director of Community Outreach for Parkview Health. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Curtis moved to Fort Wayne to join the 21Alive news team in 1995. From 1995 to 2016, Curtis was 21Alive’s Chief Meteorologist. You can follow him on Facebook at: Curtis Smith Parkview, on Twitter at: @CurtisParkview and on Instagram at: @CurtisParkview Now that he is at Parkview, Curtis is excited to continue his work in our community and to do it for a local organization that cares deeply for the people of our area.
Curtis and his wife Jessie have three sons; all three were born in Fort Wayne. Curtis is one of the world’s biggest Boston Celtics fans. He’s an avid golfer and a Dave Matthews Band fan! The readers of the Fort Wayne Newspapers repeatedly named Curtis “Best Local Weatherman” and “Favorite Local TV personality”. The readers of Whatzup magazine also named Curtis Fort Wayne’s “Favorite TV personality”.
The parade will head south from the Ekklesia church (the old Harlan Elementary School) on Spencerville Road, to SR 37 East, to School Street, through the park, and concluding back at the church. Please come out to the Grand Parade on Saturday, August 6th at 10:00 AM to wave at Curtis as he leads the 2016 Harlan Days Parade!
2016 Harlan Days Honorary Citizen
The 2016 Harlan Days Honorary Citizen is Pat Connor. One of the reasons Pat was chosen to be this year’s Honorary Citizen is because of the many, many years she has worked to help Harlan Days and Harlan Park become what it is today. Pat started volunteering with Harlan Days over 50 years. She has done many jobs for Harlan Days including: managing and supplying the Pepsi wagons, working the donut tent, and working the food line in the food tent. She has also been the secretary for the Harlan Community Association for 40 years.
Pat grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and moved to Harlan in May of 1955 after marrying her husband in 1953. She is the proud mother and grandmother of 5 children, 4 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Pat is an active member of Harlan United Methodist Church, serving as the church secretary and a member of the women’s group. Pat is retired and enjoyed crafting and spending many winters in Florida. She still keeps busy as she is an avid reader.
When asked if she had anything memorable to say about past Harlan Days events, this is what she remembered most: she remembers the women on HUMC sorting, soaking and baking the beans at the school for the food tent. She also remembers the fireworks, hot air balloon rides, loud tractor pulls, circus acts, combine demolition derbies, the horse races and of course all of the many grand parades. Pat probably has many more memories that are too numerous to even be listed here!
Harlan appreciates all the time that Pat has donated to volunteer at Harlan Days and the Harlan Community Association and she is still a great asset to our community. Be sure to wave as she passes by in the parade on Saturday morning and thank her for her service over the years. Harlan is honored to have this special citizen!
