Get ready for Roscoe Lions Club Fall Festival

By Jean Seegers

REPORTER

Just because the weather is turning cooler doesn’t mean summer fun is over. The Roscoe Lions Club will be wrapping up the season with the annual Fall Festival at Leland Park, Sept. 9-11.

Fall Festival has been a yearly tradition since 1961. Many tried and true attractions keep generations of visitors coming back.

This year, festival- goers will notice a few changes. Poison Ivy Pub will host a beer tent on the festival grounds. The tent will be open throughout the three day event, beginning Friday evening, Sept 9.

This year, entertainment on the Lions Club stage will include Roscoe United Methodist Church Puppet Acres Puppet Show and Bubbles the Clown. Popular country and rock bands will entertain the crowd all weekend.

As always, admission is free.

Gates open Friday at 5 p.m. Visitors can grab a seat at the Bingo tent and play for prizes and cash throughout the fair.

Come for a dinner of creamed chicken and biscuits, or hot dogs, butterfly pork chops and hamburgers in the nearby Lions Club Cafe. Several food vendors will be located throughout the festival grounds, as well.

Friday’s entertainment at the fairway center stage starts at 7 p.m., with country/ rock band “Rocking Horse.”

Kiddie Day on Saturday, Sept 10, begins with a children’s parade through the festival grounds at 10 am. Line-up begins at 9:30 a.m., at the Leland Park shelter. Although not required, children are encouraged to wear costumes of their favorite character.

Following the parade, Bubbles the Clown will be on the festival stage with a fun-filled program that includes announcing winners of the costume contest.

Roscoe United Methodist Church will host Puppet Acres, an entertaining puppet show for children of all ages at 10:15 a.m.

Kiddie Day always means Wrist Band Day for specially priced carnival rides. From noon to 4 p.m., tickets priced at $20, will be available for unlimited rides. Skinner Carnival Attractions, are back again with a new – The Zipper.

Have dinner at the Lions Club Café. A festival favorite, home-made ham dinner is on the menu. Roscoe Boy Scout Troop 620 will be selling hot fresh corn on the cob throughout the festival.

Local favorite, “Kevin Burns- Good Vibrations Band” gets rolling at noon and plays until 4 p.m.

“Decades Rock Band” takes center stage 6- 10 p.m.

Sunday’s highlight is the annual Fall Festival parade beginning at 11 a.m. Bands, floats, local dignitaries, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and more will follow the parade route up Main Street to the festival grounds at Leland Park.

Sunday entertainment features Kids Spot dance performances on center stage beginning at 1pm. “Rollin Whiskey” takes over at 3:30 p.m. and plays until 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for the grand prize drawing and 50/50 raffle tickets can be purchased from Lions Club members at any time during the festival.

Lions Club representatives will announce the winner of the grand prize drawing Sunday at 8 p.m. First prize is $5,000. Second prize is $1,500 and third prize, $1,000. In addition, 10 winners will collect $50 prizes.

Come by the big yellow attendance tent, open every day throughout the festival. Meet municipal and state officials; check out regional goods and services, and small businesses.

Attendance prize winners will be announced every 15 to 30 minutes. Tickets will be available at 50 cents or 3/$1. Among the prizes will be themed gift baskets created by Lions Club member Rhonda Tierney.

The weekend festivities end with a spectacular fireworks display beginning at dusk.

The Roscoe Lions Club’s motto “We Serve” sums up the reason for the fundraiser that has been a community tradition for 46 years.

Money raised by the organization benefits the Sight and Hearing Center, local scholarships, junior athletic teams, local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, the Kinnikinnick School District, VetsRoll, Stateline Crop Walk and much more.