Mayetta Days are this weekend
The 32nd annual Mayetta Days will be held next weekend with a variety of friendly competitions and fun activities.
The event will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3, with a free street dance on Main Street by Sloppy But Lucky, an Irish folk-punk band from Topeka.
Between 25 to 30 vendors have signed up for the craft fair that Saturday on Main Street, said Debbie Coleman of the Mayetta Pioneers Days Association. Vendors are still being accepted.
New to this year’s event is a chicken run contest at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Adults and children are encouraged to bring their fastest hens to race down chutes on Main Street.
“We’ll have different heats depending on how many hens we have,” Coleman said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we’re hoping it’s a good replacement for our turtles races we’ve held in the past.”
Area bakers are invited to submit a cake for the “Let Them Eat Cake” baking contest. Cakes must be dropped off at city hall that morning and will be auctioned off later that day.
Both live and silent auctions will be held that Saturday, and all the proceeds will be used by the Mayetta Pioneer Days Association to host future events.
Several other contests will be held throughout the day, as well as a car and motorcycle show north on Main Street across from Dollar General.
Saturday’s event will culminate at 3:30 p.m. when a parade will be held through Main Street.
Janis Simon and Tom Wabnum have been selected as Prairie Band Potawatomi Elder Royalty, and Roy Hale will serve as the grand marshal.
The full Mayetta Days schedule will include:
Friday, Oct. 3
* 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. – Street Dance on Main Street by Sloppy But Lucky.
Saturday, Oct. 4
* 7 a.m. – A 5K Fun Run will be held with check in at 6:30 a.m. The race will start and finish at First and Main Streets. There is a $5 registration fee.
Medals will be awarded for first, second and third place, and the winner will also receive a free breakfast at Sweet Sassy Molassy.
Pre-register at www.webscorer.com
* 9 a.m. – A craft fair will be set up downtown and sign up begins in front of Mayetta City Hall for games.
A touch-a-truck event will be held at the Mayetta Fire Department.
Registration will open for the motorcycle and car show, which will be held north on Main Street across from Dollar General.
The chicken run will be held at this time down Main Street. Members of the public are invited to bring their fastest hen to race. No roosters allowed.
DJ Robert T will provide music downtown throughout the day.
* 9:30 a.m. – Area residents are encouraged to bring their wagons and strollers to Second and Main Streets for a kids’ wagon train.
* 10 a.m. – A beard and mustache contest will be judged at the gazebo. A drum group performance will be held.
Entries for the “Let Them Eat Cake” baking contest and the kids’ pumpkin decorating contest (painted or carved) are due at city hall.
* 10 a.m. to noon – Free face painting will be available in front of city hall.
* 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Pioneer exhibits and demonstrations will be held in the gazebo.
* 10:30 a.m. – A mom/kid granny pants contest will be held. Each team must include a mom and a child.
* 11 a.m. – A “Dad Dance” contest will be held.
* 11:30 a.m. – Winners of the baking contest will be announced followed by a live auction for the items.
* 11:45 a.m. – A kids’ cupcake eating contest will be held.
* Noon – A rope spinning demonstration will take place on Main Street. Indian tacos and other food vendors will be serving food behind city hall.
* 12:30 p.m. – A kids’ ball and cup contest will be held.
* 1 p.m. – A kids’ buried treasure activity will be held, and the winners of the pumpkin decorating contest will be announced.
A 1928-1929 movie of Mayetta will be shown at the Mayetta City Hall and again at 2 p.m.
A kids’ sugar cookie decorating activity will be available at the city hall.
* 1:30 p.m. – Kids two-person ball toss race.
* 2 p.m. – The car and motorcycle show winners will be announced.
* 2:30 p.m. – A dramatic reading on the founding of Mayetta will be held next to city hall.
* 3:30 p.m. – A parade will travel down Main Street led by the We Ta Se Post 410 Color Guard. Line-up will be at 2:45 p.m. at the Royal Valley Middle School parking lot.
* 4 p.m. –Winners of the silent auction will be announced immediately after the parade, and a live auction for items will be held.
The event is being sponsored by the Mayetta Pioneer Days Association, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Jackson County Tourism and Denison State Bank.
For more information, email mayettadays@gmail.com or contact Coleman at 785-408-9581.
