Duck Race marks 30 years as part of Winfield Good Old Days
Winfield Good Old Days returns for its 57th year with some old-fashioned fun, including a parade, live music and more on Sept. 6-8.
It’s also the 30th year for the annual Duck Race fundraiser, hosted by the Knights of Columbus and the Winfield Park District. At 10 a.m. Sunday, hundreds of yellow rubber ducks will be released into the DuPage River and race downstream for a variety of prizes donated by local businesses. A $200 cash prize will be awarded to the first-place finisher. Stop by the park district in advance or stop by the information booth at the festival. Ducks are $5 each or get a flock of five for $20.
The three-day festival also includes a car show, bags tournament, meatball-eating contest, and a ladies shoe-kicking contest. There will be activities and fun for the children, a variety of foods, activities for adults. The farmers market and business booths will be on Church Street, south of Beecher Avenue.
The Winfield Knights of Columbus Council 8002 partners with the village of Winfield and Winfield Park District to host this free end-of-summer festival from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Church and Beecher streets.
The River 95.9 FM radio will open the festival broadcasting live from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday. The opener at 5:30 p.m. will be Sammy & The Knights. The hometown band, which includes members of the Knights of Columbus, loves to give back to the community through their musical performances. Headlining Friday night's entertainment at 8:30 p.m. will be LynSkynard, a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band.
On Saturday, singer and guitarist Mario C. will open the main stage from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., followed by Mickey Hatfield performing Americana, Roots rock and Nashville classics from 3 to 5 p.m.
Next up from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will be the cover band SWAK (Sealed With A Kiss). Finishing up the night will be the classic rock band Infinity from 8 to 10:30 p.m.
On Sunday, Rob Russo + The Loose Screws will close out the three-day fest from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The Kids Zone will feature a petting zoo, bounce houses, and more from 5 p.m. to dusk Friday, 11 a.m. to dusk Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. See the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Church and Beecher.
Be a winner at the Winfield Park District's Good Old Days Coin Carnival from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Creekside Park. Kids, age 3 to 14, can try their luck at games of skill and chance to win various special prizes. Tickets are 25 cents each.
Also on Saturday, there will be a petting zoo from noon to 4 p.m. and interactive NASCAR racing from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Teens in sixth to ninth grade are invited to dance the night away at the Teen Street Dance from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Bring a school ID to show for proof of age.
Find a partner to join in this year's Winfield Lions Bags Tournament from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. To learn more about registering your team, visit www.winfieldgoodolddays.com/special-events.
On Saturday, Caliendo's Restaurant & Bar is back with its famous meatball-eating contest at 2 p.m. sharp near the main stage, and the Winfield Historical Society is hosting the popular Ladies Shoe-Kicking Contest from 3 to 4 p.m. on Church Street.
On Sunday, check out the car show featuring your classic 1950s-style cars to muscle cars from 9 a.m. to noon at the Church commuter lot. Then meet Miss Illinois USA Grace Rodi from Hinsdale from noon to 4 p.m.
The parade, with the theme, “Growing Toward the Future,” will step off at 1 p.m. Sunday. It will begin on Sunnyside Avenue and Winfield Road, going north on Winfield Road and continuing to Beecher Avenue, where it turns west and goes for one more block west to end at Beecher and Park Street. The parade will feature various special units, school bands, VFW, the color guard, and more.
Winfield Public Library Friends' Fall Book Sale is back. It opens with a preview sale from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, and continues from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the library, 0S291 Winfield Road. All proceeds go to the Winfield Library Friends, whose fundraising efforts directly benefit the library. The book donations will be taken through Sept. 7.
For a schedule of events, visit winfieldgoodolddays.com or facebook.com/WinfieldGoodOldDays.