(Photo By Flickr User Joe Shlabotnik)
The Tremont Turkey Festival was initiated in 1966 to raise funds to build a swimming pool in the Tremont Park. Since then, local residents have served as volunteer chairmen to help make each festival a success.
This year theme for the Tremont Turkey Festival is “Hometown Heros, Celebrating The Volunteers!”
Volunteers come in many forms; little league coaches, scout leaders, firefighters and EMTs, school board members, park board members, the list goes on and on — and they all share their time and talents to make a difference in the lives of others.
Here is a “Turkey’s Eye View” to see what will be going on at this year’s festival:
Tremont Turkey Festival 2016 Schedule:
Thursday, June 9th-
9am – 1:30pm Merchants’ Day activities (Downtown)
5pm – Close Carnival Buddy Night — Kids ride two for the price of one!
7pm Miss Tremont Pageant (High School Gym)
Friday, June 10th-
11am – 9pm* Food Line (Wings, livers, gizzards, and hearts not available until 4 PM)
11am – 1pm Turkey Express
11am – 10pm Strawberry Shortcake and Smoothies
11am – 6pm Tremont Food Pantry – Pack the Truck (High School parking lot)
Noon – 10pm Country Store
3:30pm – 6pm Turkey Express
4pm – 10pm Free Shuttle Bus from High School to Festival
4pm – 10pm Merchants Tent
4pm – 8pm Craft Show
5pm – 8pm Antique Corner
5pm – Close Carnival
6pm – 6:45pm Jill Prescher (Entertainment Tent)
7pm – 9pm Tremont Turkey Festival Coffee House (Entertainment Tent)
Saturday, June 11th-
6:30am – 10am Pancake and Sausage Breakfast: All-U-Can Eat (Food Line Area)
7:30am 5K Foot Race (Start/finish at center of park on James Street)
(Awards at the park shelter immediately following the end of the race).
8:30am Horseshoe Tournament (Northeast corner of the park)
9am – 10pm Merchants Tent
9am – 8pm Craft Show
9am – 8pm Antique Corner (Across from the West side of the park)
9am – 10pm Country Store
9am – 10pm Free Shuttle Bus from High School to Festival
10am – 2pm Antique Tractor Pull (East edge of town, corner of Route 9 and Baer Road)
10:30am – 11:30am Julie K (Entertainment Tent)
11am – Noon Frozen Turkey Toss (Baseball outfield in park)
11am – 1pm Turkey Express
11am – 6pm Tremont Food Pantry – Pack the Truck (High School parking lot)
11am – 9pm* Food Line
11am – 10pm Strawberry Shortcake and Smoothies
11am – Close Carnival
11:30am – Noon Bake-off Contest Entry Check-in (Entertainment tent)
1pm Horseshoe Tournament Finals (Northeast corner of the park)
1pm Bed Races (Center of park on James Street)
(Following the Bed Races Bake-off Contest Winners Announced (Center of park on James Street)
Following the Bed Races Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest (Center of park on James Street)
3pm – 5pm Kids’ Tractor Pull (Center of the park on James St.)
3:30pm – 6pm Turkey Express
4pm- 5:30pm Cosmic Dice (Entertainment Tent)
5pm- 7pm Petting Zoo (South of the Merchants Tent)
7pm – 9pm Stevill Dan Band (Entertainment Tent)
7:30pm Introduction of Queen and Court (Entertainment Tent)
Sunday, June 12th-
9am – 6pm Free Shuttle Bus from High School to Festival
9pm – 11:30am Sign-in for Car Show (Parking lot of Camden Chiropractic)
10am Community Church Service (Entertainment Tent)
11:30am – 3:30pm Car Show (Parking lot of Camden Chiropractic)
11am – 5pm* Food Line
11am – 5pm* Strawberry Shortcake and Smoothies
11am – 5pm Craft Show
11am – Close Carnival
11am – 5pm Country Store
Noon – 5pm Merchants Tent
Noon – 4pm Antique Corner
12:30pm – 2pm The Gibson Girls (Entertainment Tent)
2:15pm – 3pm Nitsch Theatre Arts (Entertainment Tent)
4pm Parade
* or until food is sold out
Enjoy the beautiful park as you stroll through the craft and antique booths, stop by the country store, or watch the numerous performers in the entertainment tent. From the Miss Tremont Pageant on Thursday night to the parade on Sunday afternoon, there is something here to entertain all ages!
Come out and enjoy the hard work of some of the hometown heroes; join in for the celebration at the Tremont Turkey Festival in Tremont, IL!
Get more information on this event by logging on to www.turkeyfestival.com.
