A beautiful weekend and fun times at Mount Pulaski Fall Festival

 

[September 13, 2022] 

The 2022 Mount Pulaski Fall Festival kicked off on Friday night with opening ceremonies on the courthouse lawn. Local kids from Moochelle’s Kid Kare led off with the National Anthem from the courthouse steps. The 2022 Logan County Little Miss Luci Bobell attended the ceremony and sang with friends much to the delight of the local crowd.

Hillary Cherry of the Hilltop Club conducted the ceremony and she surprised a couple local residents with her announcements.

First up was the Volunteer of the Year Award. This year’s recipients were Tim and Jodi Deibert of Mount Pulaski. This dedicated couple was honored for their years of service to the Mount Pulaski Township Park District. Jodi, who has been a commissioner for the park district for 15 years, has always went above and beyond with her dedication to the community. Jodi and her husband, Tim, were both instrumental in getting the township pool up and running this summer, if even for just a short amount of time due to so many ongoing issues with the pool.

The next surprise announcement was that of the 2022 Parade Grand Marshal. Rick Volle, a life-long resident of Mount Pulaski and a local banker, was named the Grand Marshal of the “Rock’n the Hill” parade. Volle, who has seen his family invest in this community for many, many decades and who continues to carry on that legacy, was shocked and speechless as Cherry made the announcement.

In addition to guiding the Farmers Bank for many years, Volle has served on many community organizations, including the local business association and the local volunteer fire department. Volle and his family have given their time and money to this community and without a doubt have made it a better place for everyone to raise a family.

It was a perfect Friday evening for crowds to gather on the town square to enjoy food and conversation. The weather could not have been more beautiful. The kiddie tractor pull drew a large crowd, with as many as 70 kids involved in the event. The participants of the tractor pull were given free t-shirts and several kids were proudly wearing them. Bounce houses, an Exotic Petting Zoo and a Bubble Bus kept the kids entertained all evening while the Hilltop Club’s Beer Tent featured live music by Brandy Kristin and the Revival Band.

Saturday was a busy day with the second Annual Kids' Duathlon, which featured a color run and a bike race. Charlie Bingo and a Tractor Show also filled the square. The Soap Box Derby ended early after a few minor mishaps. A Bags Tournament kept adults entertained while kids continued to enjoy the bounce houses and face painting.

The Rock’n the Hill Parade began at 4 p.m. with local musician Lee Holmes kicking off the parade with a marvelous rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” on his electric guitar. The parade featured some creative floats and displays, all supporting the parade theme. Fire trucks, semis, tractors, jeeps and side-by-sides all kept the parade flowing at a steady pace. In addition, Senator Sally Turner and her friends walked in the parade. There was a lot of candy thrown during the parade and a lot of smiling faces filling the streets of Mount Pulaski.

Craft vendors and food trucks also filled the square. The food tent served a meal each night so there was no reason for anyone to walk away hungry.

A popular act made their return to Mount Pulaski on Saturday night. The Dueling Pianos featured two guys who tickled the ivories, playing a variety of music and entertaining everyone. Little kids even gravitated towards the music and danced in circles all evening long.

A real treat to cap off the family entertainment on Saturday night was a special concert by local Mount Pulaski High School senior, Walker Allen. Allen has experienced musical success over the last year as a participant in the National FFA Talent Competition. He finished in the top ten last year and has also been invited to perform at this year’s event to be held October 26-29 in Indianapolis. Allen sang a variety of today’s country and pop hits, as well as a couple Elvis tunes. He even squeezed in a gospel tune. He also performed an original song that he wrote recently for his sister, Hannah, and her future husband, Bryce. The song was entitled “If I Could Spend One Evening Alone With You” and it was truly incredible. Allen’s voice is a gift from God and his stage presence makes him a natural talent. Mount Pulaski was very lucky to have this special performance on the square Saturday night.
 

The festival wrapped up on Saturday night with a DJ in the Hilltop Club Beer Tent.

Great weather all weekend and a number of class reunions brought a large crowd to the Mount Pulaski square to enjoy the festivities. The hill was indeed rockin’.

[Teena Lowery]