Bronson Day to take place May 23

BRONSON, Kan. -- Members of the Bronson community are preparing to celebrate the town's history later this month.

The 37th Annual Bronson Day celebration, which is scheduled to take place Saturday, May 23, in the Bronson City Park, will feature a full day of fun activities for people of all ages. The event, which is sponsored by the Bronson Day Committee and the Bronson Ruritan Club, is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue through much of the afternoon. The theme for this year's celebration is "Changing Times."

Event co-organizer Lori Stang said two new events will take place during this year's event, a bed race and a pet contest. About 150 people attended last year's celebration, she said.

The one-day festival begins at 9:30 a.m. with a horseshoe pitch contest, in which participants will compete for cash prizes. For more information on this event, call Terry Johnston at (620) 939-4993. A pet contest, which is a new addition to this year's celebration, will follow the horseshoe contest at 10 a.m. Pets will be judged in several categories during this contest.

Activities that will take place all day during the event include rides and other games contributed by various local organizations.

The Bronson Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. with Grand Marshals Chub and Helen Bolling. Prizes will be awarded for the best entries. In the float category, first prize will be $30, second will be $25, and third will be $20. There will be a $15 fee for each entry in this category. First prize in the antique car division will be $25, and second prize will be $15. Prize amounts for the antique tractor division will be the same as for the antique car division, except a $10 prize will be awarded to third place in the tractor category.

Those who bring decorated bicycles will receive $1 each. All children who enter the parade will receive 50 cents.

Another new event this year is a bed race that will take place at 11:30 a.m. Contact co-organizer Lori Stang at (620) 939-4969 for more information.

Attendees will be able to enjoy a barbecue dinner at noon provided by the Bronson Ruritan Club and the Bronson Day Committee. Tickets to the dinner cost $4.50 for adults and $2.50 for children. A sandwich only will cost $2.50. Other refreshments will also be available for sale separately by the Bronson Library.

The traditional cake walk will take place at 12:30 p.m. on the tennis court, followed by kids' games at 1:30 p.m. Games will be available for children of various ages, including foot races, a free throw shoot, a ring toss, an egg toss, a three-legged race, a limbo, a face painting booth, and a pancake race.

Festival-goers will also be able to participate in the merchants' drawing and the Ruritan drawing at 2:30 p.m. Cash prizes of $100, $50 and $25 will be presented during these drawings, which will be the last events of the afternoon.

Other sponsors for the annual event include the Lunch Bunch, the OES Culture Club, the Helpful Neighbor Club, the City of Bronson, and the Resource Center for Independent Living.

All proceeds from the event will go toward the Bronson Day Committee for the purpose of organizing next year's festival, event co-organizer Glenn Smith said.

For more information on Bronson Day, call Stang or Smith at (620) 939-4932.