Music, food, crafts, shopping, games, antique cars and even a ride in historic passenger train cars. You name it and the 2010 Little Balkans Days has it.
The 26th annual celebration will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It will be centered around Immigrant Park, built at the very spot where so many set foot onto the soil of the Little Balkans for the very first time. Other sites will include Meadowbrook Mall and the sports facilities at Lincoln Park.
“We’re very excited that this year we’ve got more than 75 arts, crafts and food vendors,” said Jon Bartlow, president of the Little Balkans Days Festival Committee. “That’s up at least 25 from last year, when we had 49 vendors.”
Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce will officially kick off the festival by hosting a Chamber Coffee at 8 a.m. at Pritchett Pavilion, located in Immigrant Park.
Also on Friday will be a free petting zoo from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the lawn north of Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium, the annual Senior King and Queen Pageant from 1 to 3 p.m. at Meadowbrook Mall and a Big Band Swing Dance from 6 to 9 p.m. at the mall.
Saturday will be crowded with activities, including a golf tournament at Four Oaks Golf Course in Lincoln Park and the Little Balkans 5K run and kids run, First and Broadway. Both start at 7:30 a.m., as does the regular Saturday Farmers Market at Second and Broadway. At 8 p.m. the Gorilla Century 100, 60 or 32-mile bike ride will start from Pittsburg High School.
The main stage will be set up at Fourth and Broadway.
“The baby contest will be held on the main stage at 9 a.m., and right after that will be the Junior King and Queen Contest, which is something we started last year,” Bartlow said. “The kids are judged on a point system, and part of that is the selling of Little Balkans Buttons. I know all the parents are going to love seeing their kids on stage.”
He added that there will also be a lot for the kids to do, including visiting Mike’s Amusements, which will be set up from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at First and Broadway.
The Little Balkans Chili Cook-Off, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Second Street between Broadway and Pine, is the official CASI state chili championship this year.
The Little Balkans Folklife Festival, hosted by J.T. Knoll, will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Pritchett Pavilion.
“I made a decision to move all the day-time music that used to be on the main stage Saturday afternoon to the Pritchett Pavilion,” Bartlow said. “The reason is that I would hate to ask anybody to stand out in the hot sun and watch anything. We’ll pump the music from the pavilion up to Broadway so no one will have to be left in silence.”
For shoppers, the Pittsburg Public Library will have a book sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and more than 30 downtown merchants will present a special sidewalk sale.
Train ride will leave at 9 a.m. from Monroe and Elm Streets. Those interested in transportation can also browse through a display of antique and classic cars on Broadway between Fourth and Seventh Streets.
Pittsburg Community Theatre will present “That 60s Show,” a musical review of the great music of the 1960s, at 3 p.m. in the air-conditioned comfort of Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium.
Admission will be by a Little Balkans Button for the performance, as well as for the Little Balkans Quilt Show, being held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday on the lower level of the auditorium.
Saturday activities will conclude with a street dance from 6:30 to 11 p.m.
“We’ve got some great music for the street dance,” Bartlow said. “The John Yoger Polka Band will be at the Pritchett Pavilion from 8 to 11 p.m. Prairie Moon, which is composed of the Duling and Mahnken Families, will play from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Fourth and Broadway, followed by Mister X from 9 to 11 p.m. I understand that Mister X will have a special guest, Rusty Knight, on keyboard.”
On Sunday will be a continuation of the golf tournament and quilt show, a bocci tournament at 1 p.m. in Lincoln Park, a showing of “Alice in Wonderland” with Johnny Depp at 3 p.m. in Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium and the concluding event, a fishing derby from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lakeside Park.
“The weather is supposed to be in the 80s and sunny, so we’re hoping everyone will come out and enjoy all these activities,” Bartlow said.
The Little Balkans Days Festival Committee has been meeting monthly since shortly after the first of the year to plan the festival.
“We’d love to get more people involved, and welcome anyone who’s interested in helping plan the 2011 festival,” Bartlow said. “All they need to do is contact the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce.”
