Coming home to fun in Cottonwood
By Deb GauThere'll be a full weekend for visitors to Coming Home Days in Cottonwood this year, community members say.
"Our poster keeps getting bigger," said Steve Alm, one of the people helping to organize this year's festival. "We have our big events. There's the fireworks, and the Legion musical on Friday. It kind of kicks off the weekend. Then on Saturday, there's the grand parade and the fire department's barbecue supper, and the street dance."
Some of the units in the grand parade will be out of their natural element, organizers said, but it means a good show for spectators - this year the parade will include entries in a contest for the fanciest boats around.
"The Lions decided to have a theme for contests, like fish houses and boats," said Kirk Lovsness, one of the contest organizers. Boats are this year's theme.
"There'll be a few," Lovsness said of this weekend's entries. There aren't any rules for what the boats should look like, but he said, "There will be cash prizes for the largest, the smallest and the fanciest decorated boats."
One of this year's new events will be a lawn mower pull, Alm said. Organizers of the event have been busy scouting for a good spot for the riding mowers to compete.
"That should be interesting," Alm said. "It's awesome how much they can actually pull."
Lovsness said the Cottonwood Fire Department will once again be holding a splash dance for kids Saturday at the city basketball courts.
"It was very well attended last year," Lovsness said.
Alm said it always seems like there's more going on Coming Home Days than you can remember.
"There's a lot of stuff when you're out walking around, that you see and think, 'That's cool,'" he said. "Like the kiddie carnival. When you go by there, you can hear all these kids giggling, just having a grand old time."
Schedule
Friday
4 p.m.: St. Mary's Youth food stand at C.W. Reishus Park
5 p.m.-1 a.m.: Beer garden at the Village Pub
5:30 p.m.: Registration begins for kiddie parade at C.W. Reishus Park. Pet judging contest follows the kiddie parade.
7:30 p.m.: American Legion Post 503 community choir musical at the Lakeview School Theatre
Dusk: Fireworks on Cottonwood Lake
8-Midnight: Karaoke at the Village Pub
Saturday
LouBa's Lunch Wagon at Reishus Park Saturday morning, downtown in the afternoon and evening.
8 a.m.-6 p.m.: P.S. Indian style tacos
9 a.m.: Cottonwood Ambulance medallion hunt. Clues posted at the Cottonwood fire hall.
9 a.m.: 5K and 2K run, 1K fun run/walk at Lakeview School. Proceeds go to Kids Against Hunger
9 a.m.: Bean bag tournament on Main Street
9 a.m.: Co-ed volleyball tournament at Cottonwood Beach Park
10:30-Noon: Kiddie carnival at City Park
11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Whopper feed at English Lutheran
11:30 a.m.: Pedal tractor pull by the Cottonwood fire hall. Tickets for the Lakeview Booster Club raffle available.
Noon-1 p.m.: Sidewalk chalk contest at the City Park basketball court
Noon-4 p.m.: Model airplane demonstrations at the golf course driving range
1-2:30 p.m.: Splash dance at the City Park basketball court
2-4 p.m.: Pie social at Christ Lutheran Church
4 p.m.: Grand parade, rain or shine. Boat contest entries will be judged in the North Star Insurance parking lot following the parade.
4 p.m.-1 a.m.: Beer garden at the Village Pub
5 p.m.: Lawn mower pull at the old athletic field
5-8:30 p.m.: BBQ pork supper hosted by the Cottonwood Fire Department. Proceeds go toward a new tanker truck.
9 p.m.-1 a.m.: Free downtown street dance featuring "Screamin' Cactus"
Sunday
9 a.m.-Noon: Breakfast at Cottonwood Country Club
11:30 a.m.: Kids' golf contests at the golf course
