Rimersburg gets ready for 32nd annual event
RIMERSBURG, Clarion County — New events and old favorites will come together in Rimersburg this weekend when Cookie Daze returns.
Missing from the slate of activities are the traditional bed races, but organizers have planned a weekend packed with something for everyone.
The 32nd annual event kicks off Friday with a parade and ends Sunday with a car cruise and outdoor movie.
In between there will be fireworks, races, street dances, scavenger hunts, rides, food and a craft show.
“We are hoping for a safe, fun event,” said Sheila Johnson, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. “We had such a great turnout last year. We're praying for beautiful weather.”
The festival, with the theme “Where's the cookie?,” is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.
Festivities begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. with a parade winding from the fairgrounds through downtown and featuring floats, fire trucks, the Union High School football team and cheerleaders, the VFW and Lions, local businesses and antique cars, Johnson said.
Later in the evening, festivalgoers can enjoy a street dance with Mobile Beats and a fireworks show by StarFire.
Villains and superheroes will again take over the town Saturday morning with the kids costume fun run and the 5K kicking off a full day of activities.
“Something new this year we think is probably going to have a good turnout is the doggy fashion show,” Johnson said.
The event, which is open to everyone, will begin at 10 a.m. with entrants being judged in one of four categories, Johnson said.
Kids will have their own “car cruise” in the afternoon with a power wheels cruise-in on Main Street before motorcycles roar in at 3 p.m. for their turn.
Throughout the afternoon there will be a scavenger hunt, vendor and craft show, face painting and a cake walk and bake sale at the library.
The fun will continue in the evening with live music by the band Sideshow at 7 p.m., Johnson said.
The car cruise will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday, and organizers expect a large turnout.
“Last year, we had more than 410 cars,” Johnson said. “We had cars everywhere. It was big and it was fun.”
After the car cruise, festivalgoers can head over to Veteran's Park to see feats of strength interspersed with comedy bits by Steve Carnahan, the “World's Strongest Redneck.”
Carnahan, who is six feet tall and weighs in at 343 pounds, can lift 585 pounds.
The festival will conclude at dusk with an outdoor movie, “Alexander and the Terrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad Day.”
“It should be fun for everyone,” Johnson said.
Not on the schedule this year are the traditional bed and cart races.
Johnson said interest in the two events has waned but didn't rule out their return for a future festival.
“We're going to reach out so if anyone wants to bring it back, it's not a problem,” she said. “If we get feedback that people miss that stuff then, by all means, we'll bring it back.”
FRIDAY• 6:30 p.m., Parade, followed by street dance to Mobile Beats• 9:30 p.m., Fireworks showSATURDAY• 7:30 a.m., Kids Super Hero Fun Run and 5K registration• 8 a.m., Kids Super Hero Fun Run• 9 a.m., 5K race• 10 a.m., Doggy Fashion show; midway and carnival vendors open• 10:30 a.m., Kids Power Wheel Cruise In• 11:30 a.m., Big Wheels race• 1 p.m., Kids' scavenger hunt• 2 p.m., Adult scavenger hunt• 3 to 6 p.m., Motorcycle Cruise In• 7 to 11 p.m., Live music by SideshowSUNDAY• Noon, Midway and carnival vendors open• 1 p.m., Cornhole tournament• 3 p.m., Car cruise• 6 p.m., World's Strongest Redneck• Dusk, Outdoor movie, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day”
