Fishers Freedom Festival June 28-29 Brings Contests & Entertainment while Benefiting Local Kids

By lauragates on Saturday, May 31, 2008
Filed Under: Calendar, Local News, Not for Profit
June 28, 2008toJune 29, 2008

Children's Tent Sand Art Get ready for contests, crafts, food and other festivities to amuse the entire family. The Fishers Freedom Festival will be June 28 and 29, with the main parade scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m.

This year will be an extra special celebration as the Freedom Festival marks its 20th year. The annual 5k walk/run begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, with registration open at 6 a.m. Opening ceremonies for the festival will be at 10 a.m.

The Freedom Festival will include favorite activities like crafts for kids in the children’s tent and a water balloon launch area for teens and “big kids” of all ages. And, of course, it will end with a bang as fireworks light the Fishers skies at dusk Sunday night.

There is also one new addition to the festival that’s sure to bring out the local competitive-types. A cornhole tournament is planned for Sunday at 10 a.m. This game has been growing in popularity in recent years and is very addictive. It’s a game in which players take turns pitching beanbags at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. The object is to be the first player (or team) to reach 21 points by getting beanbags in the hole or onto the platform.

CORNHOLE Prizes will be split among the top two teams for each age group, with a minimum of $100 to the winner. There also will be a drawing for two new cornhole sets. The registration fee to enter the tournament is $10 per person or $20 per team. You can register online at www.fishersfreedomfestival.org. Players must be registered by 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 28 (forms accepted at the festival information tent).

More competition can be found at the Sam’s Club BBQ Cook Off. Fishers’ greatest cooks are invited to enter their best barbeque sauce and chicken for judging Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Sunday’s food challenge will be a watermelon eating contest at 11:30 a.m. (participants must register on Saturday from 11-1).

Both days will be packed with entertainment options, including lumberjack shows, dog disc competitions and musical performers.

But amidst all the fun, don’t forget that the purpose of the festival is philanthropy. Non-perishable food items, toiletries and school supplies will be collected throughout the festival, and canned goods are considered “admission” to the main parade event. In addition, the Regions Bank Charity Basketball Shoot (Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.) invites festival-goers of all ages to make 10 shots for $1.00. Top shooters qualify for trophies.

Parade Color Guard “20 Years is Great in 2008” T-shirts also will be available for purchase at the Freedom Festival. Taylor Hartman, an 8th grader at HSE Junior High, designed the back of the shirt, and Kaitlin Solmon, a 4th grader from New Britton Elementary, designed the front. The contest was open to all elementary and junior high students in the HSE district.

As always, all festival proceeds go to benefit the Roy Holland Backpacks for Kids program, which provides less fortunate students in the Hamilton Southeastern School District with school supplies and backpacks.

Thanks to last year’s Freedom Festival and other annual fundraisers, the festival committee was able to donate 215 backpacks full of school supplies, said Jennifer Kehl, executive director of the Fishers Freedom Festival.

If you would like to be a part of this worthy cause and help make this fun, community event a success, you may register to volunteer online at www.fishersfreedomfestival.org (Click on the 2008 Volunteers link). Volunteers are most needed in the Children’s Tent (both days), at the 5k walk/ run (Saturday), in the Business Tent (Saturday), and the Free Game Tent (Sunday).

Food Booth Strawberry Shortcake Run Pictures

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As Managing Editor of at.Geist.com, it's probably no suprise that I have loved writing ever since I was old enough to make up a story and write it down on paper. In high school, I discovered journalism and began writing "true stories" for my school paper. My favorite type of story then (and now) was a good feature article on an interesting person. I was editor-in-chief my senior year and loved the opportunity to be "in-the-know" and to be "known" (since I was always considered "shy" by my peers). I decided early on to pursue journalism during my college years at Ball State, where I worked on the Ball State Daily News, interned at the Kokomo Tribune, and then went to work for The Muncie Star (now the Star-Press). Since I've always enjoyed capturing candid moments, I decided to get a minor in photojournalism, as well. I graduated in 1996 and married my college sweetheart, William. We moved to Castleton, and I worked as a reporter for the Noblesville Daily Ledger (out of the Fishers office on Ind. 37) until my first child was born in June of 1999. Since then, I have enjoyed staying home with my three children, ages 3-9. Through the years, I have done freelance journalism, wedding and family photography and corporate public relations. Being a Mom is the best job of all! To accommodate our growing family, we moved to the Highlands at Geist in October 2005. I started writing for atGeist in early 2006 and was excited to be getting involved with the community while using my journalism skills. I became Managing Editor in early 2007 and have enjoyed meeting many of my "neighbors" who are doing fascinating things. There are so many great people and great stories to be told "at Geist!"

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