By WAYNE ALLEN
PDT Staff Writer
Plans and preparations have been made and the 42nd annual Pike County Dogwood Festival is set to take place in the streets of Piketon from Thursday, April 26, through Sunday, April 29.
The festival starts with opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. Thursday on the Village Green. Activities during the opening ceremonies include the crowning of the festival queen.
“This year’s contestants are Bonnie McCann, senior at Piketon High School, Taylor Osborn, Junior at Piketon High School, and Lacrissa Wooldridge, a Junior at Piketon High School,” festival Chairwoman Theresa Parmeter said.
Also during the opening ceremony, Carson Hopkins will be introduced as this year’s parade grand marshal.
She said Hopkins is a longtime Pike County resident and volunteer with the Lions Club and Pike County Shriners.
The Piketon High School Band will perform at 7 p.m. on the Middle Street stage to round out Thursday’s activities.
On Friday, April 27, the Fun Bunch Cloggers will perform on the Village Green from 5 to 6 p.m. and Ashley Foster will perform from 5 to 6:40 p.m. on the Middle Street stage.
At 6:30 p.m., the Piketon High School musical cast will perform “Back to the 80s” on the Village Green. With the Lewis Brothers performing from 8 to 9:45 p.m. on the Middle Street stage.
On Saturday, April 28, the annual Cyclist Dogwood Tour will start at 8 a.m. at Piketon High School.
Sharon Manson, director of the Pike County Visitor Bureau, said the event is used by many cyclists every year to train for the annual Tour Of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV) cycling tour from Columbus to Portsmouth.
The registration for the festival car show will start at 9 a.m. at Piketon Grade School.
Parmeter said, typically, 120 cars will show up. At 2 p.m., the car show awards will be given out at Piketon Grade School.
Registration for the annual 5K Run and Walk will take place at 10 a.m. at Piketon High School, with the 5K Run and Walk beginning at 10:30 a.m.
An Abraham Lincon impersonator will perform at the festival twice on Saturday, at 11:30 a.m. at Middle Street Stage and at 3:30 p.m. he will be at the Piketon Grade School Stage.
The Waverly Jazz Band will perform at noon on the Village Green.
At 1 p.m. Saturday, Jim Henrey will present a slideshow presentation at the Dogwood Festival Office on the history of Pike County railroads, called “Pike’s Past-Railroads of Pike County.” Henrey will also give a slideshow presentation at 3 p.m. at the Dogwood Festival Office on the history of the Ohio and Erie Canal in Pike County.
At 2 p.m., Piketon High School Chorus, Jasper third grade Recorder Masters and the Piketon High School Dance Team will perform at Piketon Grade School.
From 3 to 4 p.m. on the Village Green the First Capital Cloggers will perform, while at the same time the Relentless Mules will be performing on the Middle Street stage.
Thomas Dirk will perform from 5 to 6:35 p.m. on the Middle Street stage.
The annual arm wrestling tournament will start at 4:30 p.m. on the Village Green with the N’Step Dace Crew performing from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
To round out Saturday’s activities, Stone Johnson will perform on the Middle Street stage from 7 to 9 p.m.
Sunday, activities begin at 1 p.m. with a gospel sing on the Middle Street stage. At 3 p.m., the Grand Parade begins, after which will be the drawing for the Dogwood Quilt at the Piketon Methodist Church.
“There are a group of Dogwood Quilters that quilt all year long. Every year they donated the first quilt they make to the festival. We use it as a fundraiser and sell tickets for a drawing to be held at the festival. All of the money raised goes to help with the operations of the festival,” Parmeter said.
The last event at this year’s festival will be a performance by the Adelphi Band at 4:30 p.m. on the Village Green.
“We are dedicating this year’s program in the memory of Edna Anderson, who passed away last year. She was a 42-year member of the festival planning committee. The Dogwood Quilters are also donating this year’s quilt in honor of Edna,” Parmeter said.
For more information about this years festival, call Parmeter at 740-222-0389.
Post a Comment
