By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
SOLOMON - Food and fun for the entire family is the order of the day for the 2021 Solomon Festival on July 17.
"We have activities for all ages! We invite anyone and everyone to bring their families out and come join in on the festivities!" festival volunteer Katelan Turner told Salina Post.
Since 1976, the good folk of Solomon have been coming together to celebrate, well, Solomon.
"We are smaller this year, sadly, due to COVID, but we plan to come back bigger and better next year!" Turner said.
Nonetheless, there are quite a few activities planned for this year.
The festival, in the Solomon City Park off of Old Highway 40, kicks off at 8 a.m. July 17 with the flag raising by Cub Scout Pack 80 and goes until midnight when the live music and street dance conclude. In between are a variety of activities, including a car show, a cornhole tournament, turtle races, vendor booths, a baby beauty contest, bounce houses and games for children, a horseshoe tournament, hay scramble, tractor pull, bingo, kids races, and a free swim at the city pool.
Sponsored by the Solomon Lions Club, the Hay Scramble for children is along the lines of finding a needle in a haystack, but with money.
"They basically have a fenced area full of hay, they then toss coin money throughout the hay and let the kids dig through to collect as much money as they can for a certain amount of time," Turner said.
The bounce houses and kids games require a wristband ($5 per person) and tickets (25 cents each), she said. Additionally, admission to the street dance is by button. Buttons purchased in advance are $10 each or $15 each at the gate, Turner said. Advanced buttons can be purchased from a festival committee member or at Bush's Market in Solomon.
What about food? A pancake feed opens at 8 a.m. Lunch is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additionally, a watermelon feed donated by the City of Solomon in celebration of the city's 150 years of existence opens at noon.
Following is the festival schedule. For updates, go to the Solomon Festival Facebook page.
8 a.m.
Flag raising by Cub Scout Pack 80
Car show registration until 10 a.m., hosted by Packages for Warriors
Pancake feed hosted by Lucinda's Katering and Solomon High School athletes
8:30 a.m.
Cornhole tournament registration
9 a.m.
Turtle races
Cornhole tournament
Vendor booths (until 2 p.m.)
9:30 a.m.
Baby beauty contest registration
10 a.m.
Baby beauty contest hosted by the Solomon Community Preschool
Bounce houses and games (until 2 p.m.)
Horseshoe tournament registration
10:30 a.m.
Horseshoe tournament
11 a.m.
Hay scramble sponsored by the Solomon Lions Club
Tractor pull registration
Lunch at the Cabin (until 2 p.m.), hosted by the Solomon Fire Department and the Solomon Community Preschool
11:30 a.m.
Tractor pull sponsored by Abilene Machine
Noon
Bingo
Watermelon feed donated by the City of Solomon
1 p.m.
Kids races
Solomon High School Football Golf Tournament. Registration due by Monday. READ: Registration open for Gorilla Golf Tournament
1:30 p.m.
Car show judging presentation
2-4 p.m.
Free swim at the city pool
8 p.m.
Gates open for the street dance
9 p.m.-midnight
Live music and street dance featuring Tanner Foulk. Coolers are welcome, but no glass is allowed. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.