Pekin blooms during annual Marigold Festival

By Kris Verhage For Chronicle Media
Music is always a part of the annual Pekin Marigold Festival, which runs from Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 8 to 11. (Photo courtesy of Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce)

Music is always a part of the annual Pekin Marigold Festival, which runs from Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 8 to 11. (Photo courtesy of Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce)

Pekin’s annual summer celebration can be described as All-American.

This year’s Marigold Festival, themed “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Marigolds,” is scheduled from Thursday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 11.

This event, run by a committee of nearly 20 volunteers, will be packed with activities from start to finish, says Renna Hadsell, events manager for the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce, which puts on this festival. The first Marigold Festival began in 1973.

This year’s special guest is Lee Smith, former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. He’ll be appearing the morning of Sept. 10 in the Marigold Festival Parade. That afternoon, he’s scheduled to participate in a festival Q&A session and sign autographs.

The parade is a centerpiece of the annual Marigold Festival in Pekin. This year’s parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10. (Photo courtesy of Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce)

The parade is a centerpiece of the annual Marigold Festival in Pekin. This year’s parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10. (Photo courtesy of Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce)

The festival kicks off the evening of Sept. 8 with the carnival, the Marigold Wine Tasting event, “Dogs on a Catwalk” and more. The final day features a 9/11 15th anniversary program and remembrance worship service. This nondenominational morning event includes worship, prayer, music and recognition of military and civil servants.

In between will be popular events such as the Pepsi Marigold Medallion Hunt, during which amateur sleuths comb through clues released by the Cluemeister in hopes of winning the grand prize — a vacation to either Cancun or Las Vegas. Other popular activities include live music, the Kids Experience, a chalk art contest, a disc golf outing and the Cruise-In, a specialty and antique vehicle show.

Some 20 organizations will be raising money by selling throughout the fest a variety of food, from pork tenderloin

The 2016 Miss Marigold Jordan Finneran (center), with first runner-up Naomi Klingbeil (left) and second runner-up Keri Whitford. The crowning of a Miss Marigold is a tradition that has been part of the festival since its beginning in 1973.  (Photo courtesy of Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce)

The 2016 Miss Marigold Jordan Finneran (center), with first runner-up Naomi Klingbeil (left) and second runner-up Keri Whitford. The crowning of a Miss Marigold is a tradition that has been part of the festival since its beginning in 1973. (Photo courtesy of Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce)

sandwich and Italian beef sandwiches to hot apple dumplings and chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches.

A few new activities will debut this year, Hadsell says. Marigold Mug Shots will take selfies to a new level. Selfie stations will be placed throughout the festivals. Signs will indicate what pose to strike.

There’s also X’treme Bubble Ball & Fitness, where visitors can bump, roll and tumble inside a giant ball. Also, a couple of area organizations are introducing their own events: Friday Family Fun Fest in downtown Pekin and the “Grand Slam” Parking Lot Party at First United Methodist Church.

Information and updates can be found at pekinmarigoldfestival.com or on the Pekin Marigold Festival Facebook page.

 

 

Former St. Louis Cardinal and Chicago Cub pitcher Lee Smith will be a celebrity guest at the 2016 Marigold Festival in Pekin.  (Photo courtesy of Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce)

Former St. Louis Cardinal and Chicago Cub pitcher Lee Smith will be a celebrity guest at the 2016 Marigold Festival in Pekin. (Photo courtesy of Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce)

In 1972, a group of Pekin residents began to talk about how to organize a local festival. In their discussions, they decided it would be a way to honor Pekin’s favorite son, U.S. Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen.

Throughout his life Dirksen was an avid gardener and enjoyed spending time in his garden. David Burpee, owner of the Burpee Seed Company, learned of Dirksen’s strong appreciation for gardening. He contacted Dirksen on numerous occasions, encouraging him to introduce legislation that would name the Marigold the official floral emblem of the United States.

Unfortunately, Dirksen’s efforts were unsuccessful. But until his death, the Marigold held a special place in his heart.

Local volunteers thought what better way for the people of Pekin to remember Sen. Dirksen than to name their festival after something so close to his heart, the Marigold flower.

 

— Pekin blooms during annual Marigold Festival —