Bring your lawn chairs.
The 11th installment of Caledonia Days begins Friday and will feature entertainment ranging from country and gospel music to a pet parade to a lawnmower race.
Festival chairperson Tami McCool said this will be the first year the entire two-day event is hosted at Ola J. Pickett Park. On Friday, Alan Sibley and the Magnolia Ramblers will kick off the festivities at 7 p.m. followed by 2012 X Factor winner Tate Stevens. The event is free and open to the public.
“We estimated between 10,000 and 15,000 attended our event last year,” McCool said. “We are very optimistic that we’ll have the same amount or better turnout for this year’s event.”
On Saturday, activities begin at 8 a.m., McCool said.
“We will have a pet parade, lawnmower race, classic car and tractor show, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, hayrides, pony rides and a children’s area with lots of fun activities,” she added.
Specially invited this year are baseball playing alumni of Caledonia High School. Former head coach Tommy Smith said there will be an event held at the high school gym Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Afterward, he said he’ll send them across the street to the park.
“We won 18 out of 20 district titles and several state championships and state runners up,” Smith said. “It’s just a chance for the older guys and younger guys to meet and tell each other where they are and what they’re doing and how much they enjoyed playing.”
For more information, call McCool at 662-574-3744.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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