Big weekend planned at Maple Park fest

Fireworks, toilet bowl races and live music are among the activities on tap for this weekend's Maple Park Fun Fest.

The annual event kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday with the opening of the American Legion beer garden on the 200 block of Main Street, with live performances by rock bands Caozz and Red Woody starting at 6:30 p.m. The festivities, including a softball tournament, parade and vendors, continue through Monday.

"It's a very active weekend in Maple Park," said American Legion Post 312 Commander Bob Niesendorf, who helps organize the event.

At 8 a.m. Saturday, the Romp in the Park 5K run and 2-mile walk and a men's double-elimination softball tournament get started at the community center near Willow Street and County Line Road. Dozens of craft and food vendors open along Main Street at 9 a.m., followed at 1 p.m. by the toilet bowl races in front of the bandstand.

"It's pretty humorous," Niesendorf said of the toilet races. "You creatively mount a toilet, hopefully an old toilet, and mount it on a wheeled cart. You race it down three-quarters of a block and back."

Roger Cahl, a festival organizer, said there also will be wagon rides and "smash a beater," where festivalgoers can take a whack at an old car, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Main Street, and a "touch a truck" exhibit for children at the fire station, 305 S. County Line Road. The beer garden opens at noon Saturday, with live entertainment on and off throughout the day on Main Street.

This year's parade steps off at 6 p.m. Saturday and has about 60 entries, which will make their way east to west across town along Main Street, Cahl said, followed by Hi Infidelity performing at 9 p.m.

The American Legion, 203 Main St., will have an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday and Monday. A 20-minute fireworks display is scheduled for 8 p.m. Sunday, with a Monday rain date.

For more information, call village hall at (815) 827-3309.