The 66th Annual Mermaid Festival starts Wednesday and runs through Sunday this year. The theme is "Jungle Safari." And once again the festival is packed with things to see and do for five straight days. The always fun Cutie Parade and Cutie Pageant are once again brought to the festival by the North Webster Lady Lioness Club. The Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation is again offering scholarships totaling $30,000 for the parade and $20,000 for the pageant. The Cutie Parade is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The lineup begins at 5:45 p.m. at the North Webster Community Center south parking lot. Participants must be 14 or younger as of June 1. There is no entry fee. The theme is the same as the festival “Jungle Safari”. The Mermaid Festival Idol Contest is Wednesday. Prescreening is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. All contestants must sing 20 seconds of a song to pass to the next level. The final level will have no more than 30 contestants. Contestants need to have two to four songs prepared. The contest starts at 8 p.m. The entry fee is five canned goods for the local pantry. Ages 13 and older are permitted. Minors must have parental signed consent. Karaoke tracks or guitar played by the contestant are acceptable. Prizes are awarded through third place. There is also a “People’s Choice Award”. The Mermaid Festival Arm Wrestling contest is Saturday with weigh-in at 11 a.m. and the tournament starting at 1 p.m. It will take place on Merlin’s Stage and the entry fee is $10. Payout depends on number of entrants. There is an amateur and professional division. The 66th Annual Mermaid Festival Parade is at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Grand Marshall for this year’s parade is Maria Waltz. Waltz is the local state and federal permitted wildlife rehabilitator who works with migratory birds. She owns and manages Hawk Sanctuary. Waltz and her husband, Ed Waltz Jr. live outside North Webster. Tom and Susan Rossell, Lake Lube Inc. and Mike DeWitt, Car Company were recognized as Citizens of the Year for allowing employees to answer fire calls or go on fire runs during work hours. Friday armbands for the Midway are $20 from 5 to 10 p.m . Saturday armbands are $10 from 1 to 4 p.m. for the Midway. Sunday armbands are buy one, get one free starting at 1 p.m. The following is the schedule for the 2011 Mermaid Festival. The location of each event is in parenthesis when noted: Wednesday 4 to 8 p.m. North Webster United Methodist Church Strawberry Festival (tent) 5 to 10 p.m. Family Attraction Amusements presents the 66th Annual Mermaid Festival Midway Merchant Building opens Food court opens Milford Lions food booth opens Kiwanis ice cream is served 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Third Annual Idol Contest pre-screening 6:30 p.m. Cutie Parade (uptown on Main Street) 7:45 p.m. North Webster Lions Club Boys and Girls bike giveaway. 8 p.m. Third Annual Mermaid Festival Idol Contest (Merlin’s Stage). Thursday 5 to 10 p.m. Midway is open. “Dollar Daze” special is all rides are $1. Popcorn, candy apples and cotton candy are all $1 each at the Candy Land Booth. 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. – Extreme BMX Bike Exhibition shows 6:30 p.m. 2nd Annual Fireman’s Competition (at north end of Mermaid Festival grounds) 7 p.m. Lake City Bank Coin Hunt 8 p.m. Short Term Memories Band (Merlin’s Stage) Friday 4 to 8 p.m. Annual Tenderloin Dinner (North Webster Church of the Brethren) 5 to 10 p.m. Midway is open 7 p.m. Cute King and Queen Pageant (North Webster Community Center) 8 p.m. “Legendary Singers/Legendary Songs” - Shade-n-Shannon (Merlin’s Stage) Saturday 7:30 a.m. Tournament of Champions check -in (North Webster Elementary School) 7:40 a.m. Tournament of Champions discussion of rules (NWES) 8 a.m. Tournament of Champions begins (NWES) 1 to 10 p.m. Midway is open 1 p.m. Arm Wrestling competition 1 to 3:30 p.m. Meet the Lake City Roller Dolls 4 p.m. 66th Mermaid Festival Parade 6 p.m. to close – Scrimmage with Tri-State Roller Derby teams (North Webster Community Center basketball courts) 6 p.m. – Ski Bees Water Ski Show (Webster Lake) 7 p.m. Queen of the Lakes Pageant (North Webster Community Center) 7 p.m. 13th Annual Demolition Derby (north end of Mermaid Festival grounds) 7 p.m. Inclognito Cloggers (Merlin’s Stage) 8 p.m. Heartland Cloggers (Merlin’s Stage) 9 p.m. Debra Collier’s Class Act Dance Troupe (Merlin’s Stage) Sunday 1 p.m. Midway opens 1 p.m. Skateboard competition registration (in east building) 3 p.m. Power Wheels registration (Merlin’s Stage) 3:30 p.m. Power Wheels competition 4 p.m. Skateboard competition 4 p.m. Vocal Power Academy (Merlin’s Stage) This schedule may change without notice. For more information on Mermaid Festival events, visit www.mermaid-festival.com The North Webster Lions Club 2011 Mermaid Festival Committee consists of Lions members; Mark Lawson, Mark Tevis, Bo Thystrup, Dan Thystrup, Derik Green, Dave Kern, Gene DeRold, Scott Fox, Gene Wala, Monty Lackey, Darrell Clark, John Bachelder, Wayne Beery, Greg Stump and Jay Johnson. Tevis is the entertainment chair; Green is merchants building and food vendor chair; Clark and DeRolf are the demolition derby chairs; Steve Ward is the parade chair; Leo Stults is the Cutie Parade chair; Green is the power wheels chair; Sue Ann Mitchell is the Queen of the Lake Pageant chair; Alyssa Schmucker is the Cutie Pageant chair and Dave Kern is the program book. For more information on the North Webster Lions club, visit www.northwebsterlion.com
