For nearly all of the 41 years that the Crothersville, Red, White & Blue Festival has been celebrating the nation’s flag, there has been a carnival to attract youngsters to the festival.
But for the 42nd local celebration there will not be a mechanized form of entertainment, local festival director Sherry Bridges told the town council last week.
“Because of insurance and fuel costs there are fewer and fewer carnivals still in business that are interested in coming to our three day festival,” said Bridges.
Showing a four-page list of carnivals four different states, she said, “ Very few ride attractions are interested in setting up for just a three-day festival and those that do want a minimum guarantee of $20,000. We simply can’t afford that.”
As an alternative, Bridges said a variety of inflatable entertainment will set up on the school parking lot; bounce houses, inflatable slides and similar forms of soft-sided temporary playground & youth party equipment.
“These are more readily available to us, will cost families less to enjoy and should still earn the festival about $1,200-$1,500 for the three-day event,” she said.
“If you have inflatables, kids will be happy,” said town councilwoman Danieta Foster.
Bridges said fireworks by Zambolli Fireworks will again close out the local patriotic celebration at 10 p.m. on Saturday.
This community festival will be June 8-10.
The Crothersville Red, White & Blue Festival began as this community’s celebration of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. It has continued every year in June ever since observing the town sesquicentennial in 2008 and last year’s Indiana and Jackson County bicentennial celebrations.
The town council gave permission to close the usual streets for the June festival: Preston Street from Oak to Main and Howard Street from Jackson to Preston.
Bridges said the parade on Saturday afternoon will form along East Street and East Bard. Then parade along Bard west to US 31 then south turning east on Moore Street before heading north on Preston Strreet through the festival grounds where parade participants and award winners are announced.
Bridges said among the festival activities will be a volleyball tourney, pedal tractor pull, clown show, and waterball fight which has been moved to the Crothersville Community Schools teachers’ parking lot.
