Town hopes to start new parade tradition

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Roachdale barber Pete Noland cuts his customer Fred King's hair recently. Noland has been in business for nearly 62 years and will serve as the grand marshal of the 2008 Summerfest parade.

ROACHDALE -- A group of Roachdale citizens is hoping to revive a tradition in the town that has fallen by the wayside.

Many years ago, Roachdale had a summer festival complete with a parade and children's activities. This weekend a festival -- held in conjunction with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post's fish fry and dubbed VFW Fish Fry and Summerfest -- will be held in an effort to rekindle a spirit of community cohesiveness in the tiny burg.

"They used to have parades, carnival rides, a talent show and fireworks," said Connie Edwards, who has lived in Roachdale for five years. "Then they just stopped."

Several citizens attended a Roachdale PRIDE (Preserving Roachdale's Identity enthusiastically) meeting this spring, and the idea of a festival was broached.

"Nobody volunteered," said Edwards. "So I started thinking, 'Can I do this? Do I want to do this?'"

Edwards decided she'd try, and became one of the head organizers of Summerfest. She has worked alongside Debbie Sillery, who she said was "wonderful help."

"Without her, there's no way we could have done what we've done," Edwards said.

Summerfest activities will kick off Friday with the VFW fish fry at 4 p.m. and music by Nashville Connection from 7 to 10 p.m.

Things will resume bright and early on Saturday with a farmer's market and bake sale, as well as a café hosted by the Delta Theta Tau sorority, from 8-11 a.m.

Registration for a car show at the VFW will begin at 9 a.m. the show and a fish fry will take place beginning at 11 a.m.

Lineup for the parade will be at Roachdale Elementary at 3:30 p.m. The parade, which will proceed down Washington Street, will commence at 4 p.m.

"The community has done a wonderful job supporting this parade," Edwards said.

After the parade, there will be games behind the library until 7 p.m. The North Putnam High School Jazz Band will perform from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by music provided by disc jockey Aaron Wylde of DTP Entertainment, Crawfordsville.

A memorial balloon service hosted by the Pat Allen family will take place at 7:30 p.m.

Bonnie Yahuraus, a PRIDE committee member, is impressed with how well the planning for Summerfest has gone.

"The people who have been working on this are pulling it off with great style," she said. "They're initiating getting our community together again and setting a great example."

Others who are helping with Summerfest include Jenni Engel, Jana Brothers, Joannie Knapp and Darrell Sandusky.

Edwards hopes Summerfest will take root and continue to grow each year.

"We'd like to get more vendors and more entertainment and make it even bigger," she said.

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  • Kudos to you ladies and all who helped organize this! I'm looking forward to the festivities. How do we become involved next year?

    -- Posted by ladycoltsfan on Thu, Jul 10, 2008, at 9:37 AM
  • My kids can't wait! These small town festivals are just the kind of family orientated entertainment that's getting hard to find. I would rather spend $100 for a day of fun in Roachdale than dinner and a movie in Avon.

    Bainbridge has a great festival in June that's always fun.

    If any other town wants to step up, you'll find us there in full support.

    -- Posted by VonMises on Thu, Jul 10, 2008, at 10:34 AM
  • Wasn't it the Lions Club many years ago that held the fish fry and carnival around July 4th?

    -- Posted by purple_heat on Thu, Jul 10, 2008, at 11:36 AM
  • Hats off and many thanks to any and every one who has had a hand in doing this!! I can remember waiting all year for the 4th of July Carnival and Fireworks...yes, Roachdale used to have fireworks......and roach races!I think the small town festivals are great. I used to go with my parents to the Labor Day festival in North Salem every year also. I'm a mom and now I get to take my son to the Strawberry Festival and he LOVES it!! We will unfortunately be gone this weekend (to spend way too much at Holiday World)which is too bad. I am sure he would have had just as much fun in Roachdale with MeMe and Papaw!!

    Hopefully next year....thanks again to you all!!

    -- Posted by roachdalekid on Thu, Jul 10, 2008, at 11:46 AM
  • THIS IS SO GREAT! WHEN I WAS A KID I LOOKED FORWARD TO THE ROACHDALE FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION. THEY ALWAYS HAD THE FISH FRY, JIM SHELTON'S PICK A POCKET SHOW, AND LOTS OF RIDES AND FAMILY FUN. THEY USED TO HAVE THE ANNUAL ROACH RACE WHICH WAS HILARIOUS. I COMMEND THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THIS EVENT HAPPEN.

    -- Posted by Michele1953 on Thu, Jul 10, 2008, at 8:13 PM
  • I really enjoyed the food, music and just visiting with friends. I'm looking forward to Saturdays events, Thanks!

    -- Posted by ladycoltsfan on Fri, Jul 11, 2008, at 9:48 PM
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