PENDLETON — Pendleton Fall Festival and Fall Creek Heritage Fair normally make for a big weekend in town in early September. This year, there are additional events — including a bicentennial celebration — planned before, during and after pandemic-shutdown reboots of the usual events, giving people even more to do over a longer, five-day stretch.
A new event this year is ParkFest, a family-friendly concert set for Thursday, Sept. 9, at Barnhart Field, located at East and Water streets.
“We originally chose this particular date … as the night before the start of the Heritage Fair in the park,” said Lisa Floyd, who said she floated the idea of the concert with three of her friends, after which they all decided to work together to make it happen. “Then the plans for the bicentennial started forming, and so, yes, we’re definitely pleased to be a part of the bicentennial/Heritage Fair … of the whole weekend,” Floyd said.
One of the first events of the week is trivia night, which took place Wednesday, Sept. 8, at The Stable, 105 E. State St.
Teams competed in their knowledge of Pendleton, with moderator and longtime resident Jeanette Isbell posing questions and providing added information.
The winners were Michelle & David Brandle, Sharon and Charlie Breese, Tonya Kemerly, Jennifer Smith and Neal Smith.
On Thursday, Sept. 9, prior to ParkFest, Spring Valley Quilt Guild began its four-day 40th anniversary celebration with its show at Pendleton Historical Museum in Falls Park. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Saturday, and 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Gates for ParkFest open at 5:30 p.m., with a children’s play area opening at 6 p.m. and the concert featuring cover band Stella Luna and the Satellites beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15, with proceeds benefiting the park.
“We’re happy to be the trailblazers of getting this new concept started in Pendleton,” Floyd said of ParkFest. “The new concept is allowing people to bring their own coolers and their own picnic setups into the park for a concert, very much like you can at Conner Prairie or Muncie, in downtown Muncie, where you can take your own cooler in there. And yes, it includes alcoholic beverages, if you’re, obviously, over 21 and following the laws of Indiana.”
There will be a contest with prizes for the best decorated picnic area.
Floyd said she hopes the concert is a success and serves as a spark for a new concert series that gives people local, family-oriented entertainment options.
“We purposely chose a Thursday evening. I think that helps brand it,” she said, noting that helps differentiate it from Pendleton Lions Club’s summer Concerts in the Park series, which take place on Sundays.
“We certainly did not want to compete with other organizations that are having very successful concerts.”
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Heritage Fair, organized by Friends of Falls Park, will offer shopping at 90-plus vendors near the park’s Community Building.
There will be a wide variety of food vendors, offering K-burgers, elephant ears, hot pretzels and more, as well as vendors selling a wide range of goods, including handmade jewelry, clothing, decor items and artwork.
Sigma Phi Gamma will serve chicken noodles on Friday in the Community Building; Pendleton Lions Club will sell chicken sandwiches and corn on the cob on Saturday.
Dusten Tryon, event co-chairman, said there will also be entertainment at the Heritage Fair, something new compared to when the event last took place, in 2019.
Rock Bottom Boys of Madison County will perform bluegrass music from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Cloggers will perform a show from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., he said.
There will also be a street chalk art competition on Friday and until noon on Saturday.
On the same days as the fair, Fall Festival will be taking place in downtown Pendleton.
The hours for Fall Festival, which is organized by Pendleton Business Association, are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
There will be booths, food trucks and vendors, and a free children’s play area.
Several local businesses are participating with sidewalk sales and special deals.
At 2 p.m. Saturday, the Friends of the Pendleton Community Library will run its annual Lucky Duck Race in Fall Creek.
More than 700 yellow rubber ducks and 60 orange sponsor ducks have been sold and will be released in the water (and collected at the finish line downstream) during this fundraiser to benefit library programs. There are prizes and recognition for the winners.
On Sunday, the town’s bicentennial events are planned from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., starting with a luncheon.
Sigma Phi Gamma will serve a Chicken Noodle Dinner; Pendleton Lions Club will serve hotdogs, brats and chips; and Acton Academy at Fall Creek will serve cold beverages.
There will be local food truck vendors, and people also will be able to bring their own picnics.
Bicentennial ceremonies are set for 2 p.m. — involving Boy Scout Troop 232, Historic Fall Creek—Pendleton Settlement, Pendleton Town Council, Pendleton Bicentennial Committee/1820 Society and others — followed by a variety of activities beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Sigma Phi Gamma will serve shortcake and shake-ups, Friends of the Library will offer a storytime by the lending library tree near the park entrance, and a wagon and antique firetruck will be set up for people to take photos.
Log cabin tours and historic marker walking tours are planned.
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Calendar of Events
Wednesday, Sept. 8
2-6:15 p.m. — Blood Drive hosted by State Farm at Pendleton-Fall Creek Township Fire Department, 100 S. Broadway St.
7 p.m. — Pendleton Trivia Night at Wine Stable, 105 E. State St.
Thursday, Sept. 9
9-5 p.m. — Spring Valley Quilt Guild Quilt Show at Pendleton Historical Museum, Falls Park Drive
6-9 p.m. — ParkFest 2021 at Barnhart Field, East and Water streets
Friday, Sept. 10
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Pendleton Business Association Fall Festival, downtown Pendleton. People can have pictures taken by Pendleton mural by Acton Academy at Fall Creek
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Friends of Falls Park Fall Creek Heritage Fair at Pendleton Falls Park, near Community Building
9 p.m. to 5 p.m. — Spring Valley Quilt Guild Quilt Show at Pendleton Historical Museum, Falls Park Drive
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Pendleton Artists Society special exhibit for Pendleton’s Past & Present Art Show coming in October, Gallery 119, located at 119 W. State St.
Saturday, Sept. 11
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Pendleton Business Association Fall Festival, downtown Pendleton. People can have pictures taken by Pendleton mural by Acton Academy at Fall Creek
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. — — Friends of Falls Park Fall Creek Heritage Fair at Pendleton Falls Park, near Community Building
9 p.m. to 5 p.m. — Spring Valley Quilt Guild Quilt Show at Pendleton Historical Museum
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Pendleton Artists Society special exhibit for Pendleton’s Past & Present Art Show coming in October, Gallery 119, located at 119 W. State St.
2 p.m. — Friends of the Pendleton Community Library Lucky Duck Race, Pendleton Falls Park
Sunday, Sept. 12
12:30 to 4:30 p.m. — Pendleton Bicentennial Committee/1820 Society Bicentennial Celebration & Community Luncheon at Pendleton Falls Park
1-3 p.m. — Spring Valley Quilt Guild Quilt Show at Pendleton Historical Museum
Pendleton Bicentennial Celebration & Community Luncheon
12:30–4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept 12
The Pendleton Bicentennial Committee/1820 Society invites the community to come join in the celebration of the 200 Year Anniversary of the Town of Pendleton. Festivities will take place near the Community Building at Pendleton Falls Park.
12:30 p.m.
• Community Luncheon Sigma Phi Gamma – Chicken Noodle Dinner
• Pendleton Lions Club – Hotdogs, Brats & Chips
• Acton Academy at Fall Creek – Cold Beverages and local food truck vendors or bring your own picnic
2 p.m.
• Flag ceremony and presentation of colors, Pledge of Allegiance, Boy Scouts Troop 232
• Bicentennial Celebration and Ceremony Town of Pendleton’s Heritage, Historic Fall Creek, Pendleton Settlement
• Town of Pendleton’s Present and Future, Pendleton Town Council and others
• Bicentennial Legacy Projects — Pendleton Bicentennial Committee/1820 Society
2:30–4:30 p.m.
• Sigma Phi Gamma to serve strawberry shortcake and lemon shake-ups
• Storytime at the Lending Library Tree by Friends of the Library, various times
• Pictures by the Conestoga Wagon and Diamond T firetruck
• Log Cabin tours, periodically
• Historic marker walking tours, starting at 2:45 p.m. (Rachel Christenson), 3 p.m. (Josh Ring), 3:15 p.m. (Historic Fall Creek, Historic Settlement), 3:30 p.m. (Acton Academy at Fall Creek)
• Daughters of the American Revolution booth
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