Big Top on the Hill Top comes to a close Saturday with great entertainment and a wonderful parade

[September 18, 2024]   Saturday afternoon at the Mt. Pulaski Fall Festival was filled with activities from special performances by the Illinois State University Gamma Phi Circus to Junto Taekwondo from Lincoln to the 33rd Illinois Infantry Regiment Band, a civil war era band, to the Mt. Pulaski Community Band.

There was also plenty of activity around the many vendor booths at the festival, youth attractions like face painting and balloon making, to Mikes Little Train, a petting zoo and much, much more.

All these activities took a back seat though to the highlight of the afternoon, the annual Mt. Pulaski Fall Festival Parade. This year the theme for the entire two-day event was Big Top on the Hill Top and the parade lived up to the hype with the many entries in the event.

This year the Grand Marshal for the parade was retired Mt. Pulaski teacher, Darrel Wernsing. Mt. Pulaski royalty Little Miss Mt Pulaski Piper Haffner and Junior Miss Adeline Conn were also in the parade along with the Volunteers of the Year jeff and Linda Dirks. All were chauffeured along the parade route in nice automobiles. New this year was the Youth Volunteer of the Year and that distinction was given to teenager Dean Mileham. However, Mileham was not seen sitting on the back seat of a nice convertible. Instead he was spied driving his antique Case IH tractor.

Float entries were all circus themed from the caged animals of the Mt. Pulaski Zion Lutheran School to the acrobats of the local boy scouts including on scout being shot from a cannon.

The Illinois State University Gamma Phi Circus was in the parade and included a stilt walker, unicycle riders, and much more. That same group also enthralled crowds with a special program including some magical moments with young ladies on large metal hoops.

Junto Taekwondo from Lincoln also entertained the audience with a demonstration by students of the moves they have learned in the class led by Darrin Watkins.

All in all, Saturday was a great day at the Mt. Pulaski Fall Festival with plenty to do and see, and of course plenty of food opportunities.

With this year’s festival now behind them, organizers are taking a much deserved break, but no one would be surprised if very soon, next years event moves into the planning stages.

Congratulations to all involved in this years event. Job well done!

[Nila Smith]