LAHARPE — Saturday’s LaHarpe Days celebration promises a crammed schedule of activities catering to folks of all ages.
The annual mid-summer festival kicks off bright and early with a 7 a.m. color run.
Runners will gather at the Senior Center and venture south to a turnaround point just south of the LaHarpe city limits for either a 5-kilometer run or a 3-kilometer walk.
The bonus are the various coloring stations along the route, where participants are free to be doused with non-toxic powdered paint.
The festivities shift to the LaHarpe City Park later in the morning, with vendors opening around 10 o’clock. The parade going along Main Street and ending at the park starts at 11.
Several carnival rides, courtesy of Fun Service Carnival out of Kansas City, will be set up in the baseball diamond from noon to 4 p.m. Wristbands sell for $30 apiece for open access to the rides. Other games such as a ring toss, egg toss, potato sack race and limbo contest are a part of the fun as well.
Also from noon to 4 are a car show and dunk tank, while a cute baby contest starts at 1 p.m. (Of note: LaHarpe Police Chief Joe Stotler will be the dunk tank’s target from 1 to 2 p.m.)
The afternoon slate features a corn hole tournament starting at 4 o’clock, with two-person teams sought. Registration costs $40 a team, with the winning squad receiving 50% of the total entry fees.
A pony pull commences at about 5 o’clock, and a street dance wraps up the festivities from 8 to 11.
A beer garden will offer libations from 1 to 11 as well.
With temperatures expected to be in the 90s through the afternoon, the LaHarpe Volunteer Fire Department will be on hand from noon to 2 to sprinkle youngsters with some cool water.
