Photo by Dwayne Black

Clowns and floats made their way through Balaton during the annual Fun Fest parade on Saturday. This year, Balaton’s community celebration had “a great crowd,” said Balaton Chamber of Commerce president Brita Fricke. Events like a community burger feed drew around 400 people on Friday, and over the weekend folks turned out for activities from the firemen’s street dance to the kids’ pedal tractor pull. “That crowd was fun to watch,” Fricke said. With 122 kids entered in the pedal pull, there was a big crowd in the bleachers cheering on the contestants. New Fun Fest events like a car show were also popular, she said. Fricke said when Fun Fest falls on the July 4 holiday, it can sometimes mean smaller attendance. “But some people plan on coming to Fun Fest no matter what,” she said. It’s a time lots of people use to catch up with old school classmates, friends and family in Balaton.