Wanda English Burnett, Editor

If you’re wondering what to do this weekend or next - wonder no longer. The next two weekends you can travel a short distance and enjoy some home town fun.

This weekend, June 13 and 14, don’t miss the Sunman Firefighter’s Festival in downtown Sunman. The annual event that boasts fish and chicken dinners with all the trimmings, will have a new twist this year. A mechanical bull will be offered to those brave enough to take the ride. You can go slow or fast or faster, according to organizers, and just see how long you can stay in the saddle!

A Wooden Bat Softball Tournament will begin Friday evening and finish on Saturday with first place prize being $500. There are several teams already signed up. For more information you can contact Terry Knueven at 812-623-0909.

The annual parade on Saturday is open to anyone who wants to enter or those who just want to sit in lawn chairs on the side line and enjoy. No pre-registration is required. Those entering the parade are asked to be at the Sunman Elementary School on Hwy. 101 an hour before the parade begins at 1:00 p.m. The parade route will travel south on Main Street, east on Eastern Avenue then into the Sunman American Legion parking lot.

There is something for everyone at the festival. It offers a variety of games with prizes as incentives, raffles, kids' games and so much more. There is live entertainment each night featuring bands: Shrimp Shack, Mount Pleasant String Band, Innersoul and Gold Rush.

For more information about the event, you can call 812-623-2498 or 812-623-1192.

The following weekend, June 20 and 21, Holton Community Park will be the setting for the third annual Holton Jamboree.

According to organizers of the event, it is shaping up nicely with live bands on both nights, plenty of good food, games for the children, and a cornhole tournament on Saturday.

On June 20 the popular Sun Bonnet Sue and Straw Hat Sam contest will be held at the Showmobile stage at 7:00 p.m. Participants must pre-register and should be at the stage by 6:30 p.m. that evening. Forms are still available at the Holton Food Mart to get registered. This is for children four and five years old. The girls wear sunbonnets, usually with old-fashioned dresses and the boys wear straw hats and jeans.

Before the contest on Friday, there will be music on stage with Hoosier Hills Bluegrass band performing from 5-7 p.m. Stacey Lynn and The Wild Cards will perform from 8-10 p.m.

On Saturday, the day will kick off with a salute to troops at noon. There will be hourly raffles, games, and a cornhole tournament at 2:30 p.m. The evening line up for the concert will include: Centerline Band, Hoosier Hills Bluegrass and Ron Hobbs as Elvis.

There are still some booth spaces available for vendors. You can call Alice McEvoy at 812-689-5968 to get a space or more information on the jamboree.

The hometown festival is located in Holton off Versailles Street at the community park. It offers a shaded area and playground. There will be a variety of food vendors with tempting tastes.