The end of August brings hot weather, the beginning of school, and Parkville Days.
The 39th annual Parkville Days River fest will be held over three days in downtown Parkville and English Landing Park, next Friday through Sunday, Aug. 24-26.
The event will run from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Activities are planned for all three days of the event.
The annual parade will begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. from 63rd and Bell Roads and go through downtown Parkville. The theme of the parade is “Historic Main Street Pride.”
Seven bands are scheduled to perform on Friday and Saturday in the park. The performances will start at 6 p.m. on Friday and run until 10 p.m. On Saturday, bands will play from 4 to 10 p.m.
Bands include Levee Town, The Blue Notions, The Unusual Suspects, Max Groove, and several others.
According to Angelo Gangai, member of the Main Street Parkville Association, admission to the park is free. There will be food, beer and wine vendors in the park. People are welcome to bring in food, chairs and blankets. However, alcohol cannot be taken out of the park and outside alcohol will not be allowed in.
There will be a Wild West Show for 15 minutes every hour in the park. The show will consist of re-enactors in costumes with horses and gunplay.
Another large part of the festival is the arts and crafts booths. This year there will be over 140 booths occupied by vendors from across the Midwest.
“This is a very family friendly event, come enjoy a beautiful day in the park and downtown Parkville,” said Gangai.
Parkville will also hold a pageant on Saturday in English Landing Park.
The pageant will start at 1 p.m. for contestants between the ages of 3 to 5 for the Little Mr./Miss contest and between 6 to 8 for the Mr./Miss Parkville contest. The deadline for entries this year is Wednesday, Aug. 22. Contestants will be asked for a $5 entry fee.
Girls cannot appear in swimwear, dresses or skirts; boys can wear shorts, shirts or t-shirts.
A panel made up of three judges will decide the winners based on personality, appearance, and poise.
Contestants do not have to be Parkville or Platte County residents to enter the pageant.
All participants will receive a sack of candy, a long stemmed flower and a certificate of participation.
First place winners will also receive a $50 savings bond from Park Bank, a special t-shirt by River City T’s and a trophy.
All winners must be available to participate in Parkville events next year, including the 4th of July Parade, Taste of Parkville, and Christmas on the River.
To register, parents of the Little Miss/Mister contestants should call Maxine McKeon, pageant chairperson at 816-741-1603.
To get more information about Parkville Days, go to www.parkvillemo.net.