The 63rd Annual Patoka Fall Festival is set for this weekend and includes a horse fun show, parade, demo derby, and a carnival among other activities.
The carnival and food vendors open at five Friday night. The main Friday event will be the Fun Show, featuring Dusti Crain-Dickerson and Behind the Bit Drill Team. There will be a barrel race, plug race, pole bending, barrel crawl race, and a flag race. There will also be a section for Patoka area residents to show their equestrian talent. Rev’d Up, a rock band with Patoka local Tim Murfin will be playing starting at seven Friday night under the small pavilion.
Saturday begins with the parade at eleven. This year’s theme is ‘Coming Together: Patoka’s Past, Present, and Future’. There will be a $100 prize to Best Theme Float this year. Parade signup is at the Day Macz Funeral Home parking lot beginning at ten am or pre-register on Facebook.
The 2022 Grand Marshalls are Butch and Susan Landreth. They are lifelong Patoka residents. Susan has been on the library board for 46 years. Butch has served ten years on the Patoka Village Board, was Little League President for ten years and started a men’s softball league for fundraising purposes. Both Butch and Susan are heavily involved in the Patoka Methodist Church. They have also contributed much of their time through the years to the Patoka School District where they have been bus drivers for 36 years. Butch announces and keeps books for Mohawk and Warrior athletics and has served in that capacity for over 37 years.
After the parade, Niemergs Restaurant will be serving a chicken dinner at the main pavilion. The Carnival will open (with arm bands) along with other food and craft vendors. The Bag Tournament will begin at noon. Bingo and Cake Walk starts at two pm.
The Demolition Derby is the Saturday night entertainment. It begins with the Power Wheels Derby for kids. They must bring their own Power Wheels and pre-register before the derby. The Demolition Derby that follows has a $2,000 guaranteed first prize in the semi-stock class and $1,000 guaranteed prize in the compact class. A bone class is being added this year with a $500 guaranteed prize. The derby will feature big trophies and a unique Best of Show trophy. Registration begins at three pm.
The festival concludes with a Community Church Service at the park beginning at 10:30 Sunday morning. Bring lawn chairs.
