Canoefest Schedule
This year's Canoefest schedule with most recent changes:
Friday, June 13: 4 p.m. Spectrum Carnival at Festival Grounds; 6:45 p.m. Princess Announcement at municipal building; 7 p.m. Lion's Softball Tournament TBA; 7 p.m. two- and five-mile road walk/run TBA; 8 p.m. Teen Dance at World of Variety parking lot.
Saturday June 14: 9 a.m. Co-ed volleyball tournament TBA; 9 a.m. Lion's softball tournament TBA; 1 p.m. Darlington Martial Arts demonstration at municipal building; 4:30 p.m. American Legion steak fry in Legion Hall; 5 p.m. Beowulf Summer Party at the Lafayette County Fairgrounds; 5 p.m. Shamrock Club's Red Hair and Freckles Contest at municipal building; 6 p.m. Home Talent Show at municipal building; 8 p.m. Teen Dance at World of Variety parking lot; 9:45 p.m. Harmony and Highlights Fireworks Show at Collins Park.
Sunday, June 15: 6:30 a.m. DFD Canoe Races at Calamine Bridge; 9 a.m. Arts and Crafts Fair at Veterans Memorial Park; 10:30 a.m. Boy Scout Chicken Barbecue at Library Park; 1:30 p.m. 40th Annual Festival Parade on Main Street; 3 p.m. Raffle Drawing on Lower Main Street; 3 p.m. Lion's softball tournament championship game TBA.
The 42nd annual Canoefest is June 12-15. The Canoefest committee brought back a few things from the past to mix in with some new items.
"We're not going to let those floodwaters get in the way of our festival," Canoefest committee president Marie Wamsley said.
Since the Festival Grounds are under water, the carnival has been canceled since no other Darlington facility has the electrical capacity to host it. The two- and five-mile run will be run on different paths and the Lion's softball game is hoping the water goes down enough to play their game.
Other events are still happening, just in different places.
Among the new events is a group of Native American dancers. The Native Voices Bear Clan Singers and Dancers will perform at 8 p.m. Friday night at the municipal building.
The popular Harmony and Highlights fireworks show will be at Collins Park Saturday night. It will be choreographed to music.
The festival wouldn't be the same if it didn't add a something to annual Sunday parade. This year, Bucky Badger will be in the parade.
All profit from Canoefest goes back into the planning and event process, Wamsley said. The non-profit organization holds other events throughout the year such as Darlington Idol.