Willshire Days celebration next week

Information submitted

WILLSHIRE — Plans are nearly complete for the 47th annual Willshire Days festival being sponsored by the Willshire Lions Club.

The festivities will be held June 22-24 and will kick off on Friday evening. Following a flag raising ceremony, the entertainment stage will be filled with talent. The annual princess pageants will begin at 6 p.m., and, following the pageant, the J Taylors will be featured as the main musical entertainment of the evening. This dynamic husband-and-wife entertainment duo is from Fort Wayne, Ind., and performs a wide variety of music, including rock ‘n’ roll oldies, classic rock, country, and jazzy “Rat Pack” tunes.  Friday evening will also feature the fifth annual cruise-in sponsored by the Willshire Fire Department.

Activities on Saturday will begin bright and early. The Willshire Fire Department will host a pancake, sausage, biscuit and gravy breakfast for all to enjoy, while activities in the park will begin in the afternoon.  At 4 p.m. the annual parade will be held.

Following the parade, the park will again be filled with many events and activities, including the popular chicken barbeque sponsored by the Willshire Sportsman’s Club.

Dan Dygert will showcase his talents and humor: a combination of comedy and magic. Dygert has been performing for more than 30 years and has provided laughter to many with his quick wit and entertainment.

Another entertainer featured for the evening is Ivory West. This 16-year-old singer and songwriter has performed at the Indiana State Fair, as well as the 3 Rivers Festival in Fort Wayne. She will provide listening pleasing to fans of all ages.

The evening will be topped off with the musical entertainment of Shade and Shannon. The duo will perform Johnny Cash tunes, mixed with songs of his friends like Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Roger Miller, Waylon and Willie, as well as more recent artists like Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Heidi Newfield (“Johnny and June”) and Gretchen Wilson.

Free pony rides, sponsored by Willshire American Legion Post 207 and the Sons of the American Legion will again be available on Saturday evening. A kids’ tractor pull will also be held, thanks to the Willshire Fire Department.

Sunday will be the day to gather in the park for a community picnic and time of musical entertainment that is being sponsored by Countryside Church of the Nazarene, Praise Point United Brethren Church, and Willshire-Union United Methodist Church.  Plan to join in on this free event and enjoy the fellowship of others.

The park will have many activities going on Friday and Saturday late afternoon and evening.  Those activities include inflatables, carnival games, face painting, putt-putt golf, Bingo, fast shuffle, cornhole and other activities.  Homemade soups, sandwiches, pies, and cakes will once again be featured in the food stand, while cotton candy, elephant ears, funnel cakes, and many other delicious treats will also be available.

Other events being planned for the weekend include communitywide garage sales and a craft and flea market.  The Willshire Youth Activities will sponsor a wooden bat Little League tournament to run throughout the weekend.  Plan now to visit Willshire and enjoy a family friendly weekend.

Contact numbers for various activities are as follows:  Parade – Karen Hunziker (419.495.2802), Garage sales – Town Office (419.495.2704), Flea Market/Craft Booths – Sharon Krall (419.495.2474), Cruise-In – Brett Sheets (419.495.2457) or Allen Luginbill (419.495.2688), Princess Pageants – Katie Schnitz (260.301.6232), General Information – Kendra Miller (419.495.2655).