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"Ol' Fashioned Summer" is the theme of Warsaw's Downtown Day's parade scheduled June 25.
"We want to focus on the kids for this parade," Carmen Lock, of Warsaw Community Development Corporation, said. "We thought that by letting them decorate bikes, wagons and pets, we could allow them to have a lot of fun."
Those interested in the parade are encouraged to send applications to the WCDC or drop by their downtown office to fill out an entry. The deadline for parade registration is June 24. Entries must consist of motorized vehicles no larger than a riding lawn mower.
Judges will be evaluating all submitted participants in the parade and handing out awards based on creativity and overall showmanship. Only individual entries will be judged and groups participating are encouraged to submit per member.
The grand prize winner will receive four tickets to the Caribbean Cove Water Park in Indianapolis along with accommodations for two-nights stay.
Other prizes include a Labor Day dinner cruise for four on the Frog Tavern's Lilly Pad on Lake Wawasee, four tickets to a South Bend Silverhawks game, including one nights stay and admission for four to Franky Park, of Fort Wayne, with one-nights stay. No trophies will be awarded.
"These prizes are fun and entertaining. We thought they could be enjoyed more than simply being given a trophy for winning," Lock said. "We thought the awards fit nicely with our theme of enjoying the summer."
Buffalo Street will be closing at 5 p.m. Thursday for preparation of Downtown Days events. The street will be closed from Main Street to Center Street and Center Street to Market Street. Also closing June 24 and 25 will be Market Street (from Indiana to Lake), Center Street (from Indiana to Lake), Main Street (from Lake to Indiana) and Buffalo Street (from Main to the city parking lot.)
Other events scheduled for Downtown Days are as follows:
• Dog show hosted by Lake City Canine Club.
• Watermelon festival, including a watermelon seed spitting contest in the National City Parking Lot.
• "Hoosier Idol," a musical talent show hosted by WAWC radio station.
• Breakfast Optimist Club Triathlon, Winona Lake
• Cub Mobile Race along Indiana Street.
• 3-on-3 basketball tournament on South Buffalo Street.
• Hog Roast at the downtown fire station.
• Story Time at the library.
• Lake City Tae-Kwon-Do.
• Square Dancers.
• Breakfast Optimist and Penguin Point Big Wheel Race on Center Street.
• Deb Collier's Class Act Dance Troupe.
• Burial of sesquicentennial time capsule.
