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Heritage Days works its way up to parade on Saturday

Four-year-old Kenzie Gamlin (left) and Brooklyn Case, 2,  enjoy a ride on the dinosur carousel on Thursday, June 18, in downtown Huntington.
Photo by Andre B. Laird.

Huntington Heritage Days are well under way.

The second week of festivities kicks off Wednesday, June 24, with the crowning of this year's Little Miss and Junior Miss Heritage Days. The program starts at 7 p.m. at the Huntington University Merillat Center for the Arts.

This year's contestants for the Little Miss Pageant are Christina Klefeker, Miranda Lippe, Arianna Betterly, Gracie Grossman, Kirsten Bickel, Ariana Holzinger, Gabby Line, 2008 Little Miss Heritage Days Catarina Meekin, Sonya Jackson, Emma Bradford, Lauryne Pearson, Grace Bradford and Katie Redding, Raegan Killigrew, Chloe Clark, Corynn Bartrom, Jazlyn Jiosa, Kayliana Hammel, Kennedy Chapin, Kirsten Walker, Melanie Lorton, Alyssa Herrera, and Katie Kratz, Allison Tackett, Callie Coon, Mia Coon, Karli Cannici, Reiley Brown, Brylee Proctor, Jozie Ivey, Hannah Hippensteel, Courtney Okuly and Saige Geideman.

This year's Junior Miss Pageant contestants are Alexandera Underwood, Mariah Okuly, Jaycee Thorn, Bailey Butler, Anna Herrero, Alex Rittenhouse, 2008 Junior Miss Janessa Dyke, Caitlin Veilleux, Meriah Harrison, Mary Sieberns, Erika Bolding, Kenzie Faurote, Cassidy Butler, Cara Benfer, Jessica Houston, Nikita Jacobs, Alyssa Voght, Adrianna Collins, Kiara Asher, Morgan Currie, Emily Haneline, Breanna Rittenhouse, Lindy Hall, Jordan Neal, Sadie Case, Stephanie McElhaney, Jessie May, Cassie Carmichael, Eliza-beth Leach and Alisha Parker.

Tickets are available from contestants.

Also on Wednesday will be the Ice Cream Social, sponsored by Phil Zahm and the Huntington County Rescue. Free ice cream and cookies will be served between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the Hier's Park pavilion. The ice cream is provided by Good Humor-Breyers, with drinks provided by the locally operated Dean's Dairy.

A community "Second Time Around" sale will take place Thursday, June 25, through Saturday, June 27, in St. Mary's Gym to benefit Huntington Catholic School. On Thurs-day and Friday, the sale will run 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Saturday, it will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A Heritage Days Quilt Show will showcase homemade quilts both Friday, June 26 (from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and Saturday, 27 (from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) in Heritage Hall at Hier's Park. It is sponsored by the Piecemakers Quilt Club. Tickets are sold at the door.

The show will include judged and non-judged quilts as well as challenge quilts. Voting will take place for the viewer's choice. Vendors will be on location will quilt fabrics and supplies for sale. Proceeds will go to Love, I.N.C. and the Piecemakers Quilt Club.

The 46th annual Heritage Days Parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 27. It will begin at the corner of Jefferson and MacGahan streets. The route is the same as previous years; it will go down Jefferson, over to Park Drive onto Cherry Street and back on Jefferson Street to finish up on the corner of South Jefferson Street and Etna Avenue.

A fashion show on Saturday will feature a locally owned bridal wear store. The show, which will begin at 2 p.m., is sponsored by Wedding Rentals and More. Dresses that will be showcased include flower girl dresses, wedding gowns and formal dresses. Susan My-grant operates the store, which consists of wedding, prom, bridesmaid, flower girl, pageant, and mother of the bride and groom consignment dresses that Mygrant sells. The show is on the entertainment stage.

Saturday concludes with a variety of activities from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., including live enter-tainment by Bev Johnson's dance students and local bands.
This entertainment will be held at the section of Jefferson Street between East Park Drive and Washington Street.

Also from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. will be children's activities, sponsored by the Huntington County Chamber of Commerce and the local Boys and Girls Club. These activities will take place between the corners of Jefferson and Franklin streets, and Jefferson and Court streets.

A giant blow-up slide will accompany other rented blow-up games, such as a moonwalk. Other on-the-spot games will be played, such as relays and contests. All of these activities will be free.

The children's activities will continue on Sunday, June 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the moonwalk and a root beer tent. The tent will offer the purchase of root beer and ice cream to create root beer floats.

Also from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday will be the first "Huntington Has Talent" music talent show. Spots are still available. There are four categories; ages 5-12, ages 13-18, adult and group. Awards will be presented to winners.

Applications can be picked up at the Chamber of Commerce. Call for more information at 356-5300.
Heritage Days will conclude then on Sunday with JeFFFest from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The name comes from Fun Food, Fine Arts and Fab Music and it will be held on the downtown strip of Jefferson.
Representing Fun Food, local food vendors will offer taste-size portions of their restau-rant's cuisine. It is very similar to the set up of the annual festival, "Taste of Chicago" each summer in Illinois.

Area artists will represent the Fine Arts when they purchase 5-inch by 7-inch canvasses from Four Corners Custom Framing to create a piece of art, and then return this art work to the store for framing.

All of these purchased canvasses will become property of the Arts Council and will be put up in a silent auction and will fund the "Arts in Education" program.

A professional jazz group from Fort Wayne will provide the Fab Music.

For more information on JeFFFest, contact Debbie Dyer, Executive Director of the LaFontaine Arts Council, at 356-8874.