Thorntown will celebrate the 51st annual Festival of the Turning Leaves today through Sunday. And this year’s festival will have a patriotic flair.
This year’s theme is “Courtesy of the Red White, and Blue,” and the festival committee is saluting hometown heroes by having the Thorntown Police and Thorntown Sugar Creek Volunteer Fire Department serve as parade marshals.
“The theme ‘courtesy’ is to thank our grand marshals for all they do keeping Thorntown and surrounding areas safe,” committee member Angie Moody said. “And ‘courtesy’ is also to thank all of our behind-the-scenes groups and individuals over the years. So many I have asked to be grand marshals over the years and they say no because they just want to keep doing what they are doing.”
Thorntown will be the only place in Boone County where one can buy rides in a Huey helicopter piloted by David Williams, who is the Thorntown Town Council vice president and a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel. World War II and Korean War veterans may ride for free.
Other adults pay $100, and the cost is $50 for youth ages 12 and younger for the Sunday flights. Helicopter rides are offered from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the fire department, 301 W. Grant St.
A downtown street fair, food court and live music will return this year, along with the annual car show. Admission is always free.
Thorntown is big enough to host a large festival and easily walkable from the Lions Park downtown to Tom Johnson Memorial Park on the south side of town. The Big 4 Trail through the middle of town makes it an easy destination for bicycle tourism. But parking is also available for motorized traffic.
The open-air festival, which began in 1973, now usually draws 4,000 to 6,000 people to the laid-back town in northwestern Boone County. Some are out-of-towners who come to enjoy the homespun festival, while others return for annual homecomings with family and friends. The aroma of smoked, fried, and grilled meats, kettle corn, and other goodies from the food court and backyard grills wafts over the entire town.
And it’s the best weekend of the year for yard and garage sales, as local homeowners polish used strollers and highchairs, antiques, furniture, toys, tools and everything in between to drag on to porches and into yards to sell and trade over the weekend.
Town merchants also offer specials during the festival, and the Sugar Creek Art Center and Thorntown Heritage Museum offer a variety of vendors and activities. The art center will feature puppet shows from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
A children’s area will include bounce houses and a Young McDonald’s Farm with baby animals to pet.
Activities kick off on Friday at Tom Johnson Memorial Park, next to Thorntown Elementary School, with Brandon’s Burgers food truck serving beginning at 5:30 p.m. and a foam party running from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The movie “Inside Out 2” will be shown at 8 p.m. The popcorn is free, but attendees should bring drinks, chairs and blankets. A glow-in-the-dark foam party will follow the movie.
Saturday events kick off with a pancake breakfast from 7-10 a.m. at Lions Park, a flag raising ceremony at 8 a.m. at Town Hall and a 9 a.m. 5K/10K Hope on the Trail walk/run. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on the Farm Heritage Trial Head on E. Church St.
The street fair and food courts open at 9 a.m., the Sugar Creek Art Center opens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and an Arni’s Pizza Eating Contest is at 10:30 a.m. at the stage area. There will be a blood drive from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Vine and Main streets.
The KP Chicken and Pork Chop BBQ begins at 11 a.m. at Lions Park, the Thorntown Heritage Museum opens from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Corn Hole Tournament kicks off at noon at Lions Park, and the annual parade starts in front of the school at 1 p.m.
At 2 p.m. and again at 4 p.m. there will be WCWO Wrestling on North Market Street and Dave’s Barrel Rides from 2-4 p.m. at the museum.
Free concerts on the festival main stage on Saturday include FiddleSticks at 9:30 a.m., hometown favorite Bodacious entertaining from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Back Porch Pickers playing from 2-4 p.m., The Cold Hearts performing from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and 90 Proof playing from 8 to 11 p.m. Taking the stage at noon Sunday will be the Western Boone Star Voices, followed by the JDP Band playing from 2-4 p.m.
Sunday events again kick off with a pancake breakfast from 7-10 a.m. at Lions Park, with the street fair and food court opening at 9 a.m.
A car show runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Main Street, with proceeds benefiting homeless veterans. That event also includes a cake walk, raffle, door prizes, silent auction and music.
A community church service is scheduled for 10 a.m., the KP Chicken and Pork Chop BBQ returns at 11 a.m., a Touch a Truck event runs from noon to 3:30 p.m. on West Main Street, the museum opens from noon to 4 p.m., students from the Talent Factory Arts & Dance will perform at 1 p.m. on the stage, and WCWO wresting returns at 1 p.m.
For more information and a complete schedule, visit the website at http://www.thorntownfestival.org/.
“Thorntown is blessed to have wonderful service organizations that do so much for our town,” Moody said. “We need to get more people involved in these organizations so our Thorntown traditions will continue. We love our small town with a big heart!”
Maria Flora writes for The Lebanon Reporter.
