Willshire Days festival this weekend

VW independent/submitted information

WILLSHIRE — Plans are completed for the 49th annual Willshire Days festival sponsored by the Willshire Lions Club that will be held June 27-28.

The festival will kick off this Friday evening. Following the flag raising ceremony, the entertainment stage will be filled with talent from the local area. Pat Briede will begin the evening with music from various genres, while Shay Bolton and Sophia Miller will be sharing their vocal talents for all to enjoy.  The feature event on the entertainment stage for the evening will feature 13-year-old Samantha Rae Dauquette, who will share selections from a range of styles.

Activities on Saturday will begin bright and early, with the Willshire Fire Department hosting a pancake, sausage, biscuit and gravy breakfast for all to enjoy. Activities in the park will begin in the afternoon, while the annual Willshire Days Parade will begin at 4 p.m. Following the parade, the park will again be filled with many activities, including chicken dinners prepared by Geno’s and served by the Willshire Legion Auxiliary.

The Van Wert Area Community Concert Band, under the direction of former Parkway band director Richard Sherrick, will perform a variety of selections for everyone to enjoy. Following the concert, Ghost Train Outlaws, featuring local musician John Brodbeck, will be performing on the music stage.  Brodbeck has been singing and playing country music for the past few years and has become a local favorite.  Willshire native Aaron Roehm will then entertain with magic and balloon sculptures. Rounding out the evening entertainment will be the band Evolution, with Matt Motycka of Willshire, which plays acoustic rock from the Eighties and Nineties.  Free pony rides, sponsored by Willshire Legion Post 207 and the Sons of the American Legion, will again be available on Saturday evening, while a kid’s tractor pull will also be held thanks to the Willshire Fire Department.

The park will have many activities during the late afternoon and evening on Friday and Saturday, including inflatables (sponsored in part by the Willshire Sportman’s Club and Countryside Church of the Nazarene), carnival games, putt-putt golf, bingo, 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, soft serve ice cream 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. Willshire Youth Activities will sponsor a wooden bat Little League tournament, which will run throughout the 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), General Information – Kendra Miller (419.495.2655).