Wilton Founder’s Day parade begins Friday

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By Cynthia Beaudette | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 8:13 PM CDT | () comments

WILTON, Iowa — The 28th annual Wilton Founders’ Day will be a parade of fun, with festivities beginning Friday and running through Sunday.

David Wagner, co-chairman of the Founders’ Day planning committee, said this year marks the debut of the Couples’ Corn Hole Tournament at 4 p.m. Saturday. The event is a team-based game that involves tossing beanbags, often filled with corn seed kernels, through a hole in the center of a target board.

“It’s really popular with college kids,” Wagner said. “We decided to try it here, and we already have quite a few people booked for it.”

The live entertainment also includes a first, with the Quad-City-based Wicked Liz and the Belly Swirls providing tunes for the first time at the street dance to be held from 9-11 p.m. Saturday.

Wagner predicts Friday night’s musical event also will be a hit with the 1960s music of the XLs, a local band that first performed in the about 45 years ago and reunites to play at various venues.

“They’ve been around a long time,” Wagner said. “It’s a real popular band.”

The sand volleyball tournament will return this year, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Eva Belitz of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce said the events begin Friday night with a flea market, crafts, food vendors, a beverage garden, bingo and carnival rides.

The Candyland Amusements carnival returns, and advance tickets for the rides can be purchased until 4 p.m. Friday from Central State Bank, Community Bank and the Chamber office.

Friday’s local entertainment lineup begins at 5 p.m. with baton twirler Sara Gautreaux of Wilton. The River City Dance Studio, River City All-Stars Dance Studio and Phoenix Marital Arts will perform at the intersection of Maurer and 4th streets.

The XLs begin performing in the beverage garden at 8 p.m., followed by the Mix’n It Up DJs.

Saturday events begin at 8 a.m. with the annual Eager Beaver 5K Walk/Run, which is open to people of all ages and features awards for the top finishers. The activity includes a 5K walk, 5K run and a 1-mile run for the children followed by a sand volleyball tournament at 9 a.m.

The seventh annual car show will change locations this year, moving to 4th and Cedar streets.

The theme for this year’s parade is Fun-’n-Games, and the grand marshal is Jim Blouse of Unity Physicians Clinic. The parade begins at 2 p.m. Entries will be accepted beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Wilton High School parking lot. The fourth annual pie auction follows the parade.

Sunday begins with a 10:30 a.m. community church service at Wilton City Park. The Bill Rabedeaux Memorial Golf Tournament will begin at noon at Wahkonsa Country Club.

(The Muscatine Journal is a Lee Enterprises newspaper.)

Contact Cynthia Beaudette at

(563) 262-0527 or cynthia.beaudette@muscatinejournal.com.