Volunteering, festivals highlight the season in Kokomo
The sound of banjos, fiddles, and mandolins will echo across western Howard County once again this August as the Winding Creek Music Festival returns. But there’s something wandering in the woods this year.
That’s right. There has been a Bigfoot sighting!
Make sure to visit the Winding Creek Music Festival, Aug. 13-16, as a fantastic line-up of bands are joined by vendors, music instructors, a Sunday 5K, and that hairy forest recluse and his friends.
Tickets for the Winding Creek Music Festival are on sale now and can be purchased at www.windingcreekmusicfestival.com. A discount is available for buying tickets prior to Aug. 1. See the site for prices on single-day, three-day, and four-day tickets. The Sunday family ticket includes admission for two adults and up to four kids for just $20.
It has been a summer full of celebration in Kokomo this year. From the Strawberry Festival to the Haynes-Apperson to the 4-H Fair, there were plenty of big events for local residents to enjoy. But there were plenty of smaller events and opportunities to enhance the community as well.
The United Way of Howard and Tipton Counties once again called upon the community to pitch in and help local nonprofits with a variety of tasks as part of its Day of Caring. Teams of volunteers spread out across Kokomo and Tipton, assisting organizations such as Bona Vista, Kokomo Urban Outreach, and Flowers Feed Folks with cleaning, organizing, and gardening.
Summer was filled with color when the annual Kokomo Pride Festival took place along North Union Street. Vendor tents sprang up, offering vibrant, themed products, as music and the scents of a variety of foods filled the air. And those in attendance displayed a rainbow of colors, representing and supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Silver Birch of Kokomo held events across the season, with a luau, a blood drive, and a fundraiser to bring hot air balloon rides to its residents. The luau was highlighted by music from a deejay, festive leis, and delicious snacks. The blood drive ensured that the gift of life is available to those in dire need, and the Toasts of the Coast fundraiser was a success. It won’t be long before Silver Birch sends its residents floating above the city once again.
And the Kokomo Downtown Farmers Market welcomed visitors to its weekly gatherings at the corner of Mulberry and Washington streets. Whether customers were searching for the perfect plant, the ideal handmade gift, or meats, breads, fruits, vegetables, wines, honey … they found all of that and more.
And the Market is still going strong. Every Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon, shoppers can take advantage of locally sourced products from trusted small entrepreneurs. The Market will continue through October.
See galleries featuring each of these fun summer events on the Lantern’s Facebook page.