Find summertime fun at Monona Hay Days
Hay Days, Monona’s annual summertime celebration, returns Saturday, June 11. The day features a full slate of activities, including a parade, live music, classic car/truck show, tractor pull, 5K color run, craft and vendor fair, kid’s games and food. (Times-Register file photo)
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
Hay Days, Monona’s annual summertime celebration, returns Saturday, June 11. The day features a full slate of activities, including a parade, live music, classic car/truck show, tractor pull, 5K color run, craft and vendor fair, kid’s games and food.
This year’s event will have a few new additions—as always—remarked Teresa Graham, who’s helped organize Hay Days since 2016.
“We try to change it up, so you’re not expecting the same thing,” she said, “but there’s a few things that are stable.”
First up is the 5K color run sponsored by the MFL MarMac Dollars for Scholars. Registration is from 7 to 8 a.m. at the city park, with the race to follow.
From 7 to 10 a.m., head to the Monona Community Center to enjoy a pancake breakfast in support of the Monona Butterfly Garden and Trail.
The popular Hay Days parade will start at noon, proceeding down South Main Street, then turning at North Street. Graham said highlights will include the Shriners, the lovable motorized clowns, as well as the return of Jim Cowell’s well-known mini semis.
There is no official parade theme, but entrants are encouraged to create a float decorated with hay.
“It can be any form of hay: loose, square bales, round bales,” Graham said.
Parade pre-registration is preferred, but not required. Contact Isaac Brehmer at (563) 880-6428 or brehmer217@gmail.com to sign up.
Following the parade, festivities will move downtown. An opening ceremony will include a performance by Legacy Show Choir and a Quilts of Valor presentation.
“In the community center, we’ve elected to bring back previous quilts. A lot of times, people never got to appreciate the beauty of them, so we’ll have them for people to view,” Graham shared.
“Then, shortly after opening ceremonies, probably about 1:35/1:40 p.m., we have a surprise for the people of Monona,” she added.
Other afternoon activities include a classic car/truck show, tractor show and tractor pull. There will also be bingo, carriage rides, a beard competition, a demonstration with Clayton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matt Moser and K-9 Rexo and a craft and vendor fair. The Monona Historical Society will have a booth in the community center.
“It’s the 125th anniversary of Monona being incorporated. They will have a table set up with some historical items and show a little bit of wood carving,” said Graham.
The MFL MarMac dance team will perform, as will Garnavillo’s Star Power dance team. Live music is planned too.
“We have brought back German music this year, in the Guttenberg German band, from 2 to 5 p.m.,” Graham said. “Monona has a rich heritage of German behind it, and a lot of older people enjoy listening to the German music.”“
Popular local band Smoking Gun Showdown will perform later in the evening, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Hay Days features countless activities for kids, including a money machine, dunk tank, face painting and kiddie tractor pull. The rock climbing wall will return along with the Euro bungee jump.
“One of the exciting things is our bounce houses. I got an extremely long bounce house. The older kids will very much enjoy that, and then we have a separate bounce house for the littler kids,” Graham shared.
The fish pond game will be back, and Graham listed soccer darts and pocket pool among the new games. One activity even involves a toilet.
“That will be interesting to see how that plays out,” she joked.
According to Graham, visitors should also come to Hay Days hungry.
“We have a variety of food, anywhere from Mexican to smokin’ barbecue to St. Pat’s Catholic Church doing pork chops on a stick to the basketball club doing hamburgers, hot dogs and brats,” she detailed. “We’ll have sno cones and fresh deep fried cheese curds, and the Lutheran church is providing ice cream and Spring Grove pop. We also have cupcakes.”
The Methodist church plans to have food in the community center.
At 6 p.m., the prize basket drawing will be held downtown. Participants must be present to win.
“We have a lot of baskets this year and are thankful to our supporters and donators,” Graham said.
The Hay Days Committee is appreciative of the community, as a whole, which continues to support the event.
“That’s what makes it worthwhile, just to have the community behind you. It helps build the event,” Graham stated.
Hay Days has attracted as many as 1,500 to 1,600 visitors in the past, and she hopes to see it grow to 1,800 or more.
“The word is getting out. And it seems like we’re getting a lot more people who want to be part of it and use Hay Days as a fundraiser, to help their clubs out,” she added.
For more information and a schedule of events, see the ad in this week's Times-Register, or visit the “Monona Hay Days” Facebook page.
