By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
ELLIS — The 25th annual Ellis Riverfest is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Saturday at Walter P. Chrysler Park, offering a variety of events to participants throughout the day, in line with the throwback theme for this year’s festival.
“Everything is kind of popular with that throwback theme right now,” said Dena Patee, Ellis Alliance director.
When planning the festival, she said they looked back at previous years in order to bring back favorite events from years past.
One of the larger events returning is a 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
“We had several requests to bring back the 3-on-3 basketball tournament. We’ve got some of the young-at-heart kids that really wanted to see that come back,” Patee said.
A horseshoe tournament will also return for the third year in a row “to get some of that crowd in that maybe doesn’t have a whole lot of stuff to do at Riverfest. They really enjoy going and throwing shoes,” she said.
Every year, musical entertainment is a big part of the festival, but this year Patee said the band brought in is particularly special — but not before some locals take the stage.
During the afternoon, a karaoke contest will bring out area singers to the park’s main stage.
“We’ve got some really good singers in Ellis,” Patee said. “We’ve got a lot of people that really enjoy that, so we’re bringing that one out too.”
Later in the evening, participants will have the opportunity to hear a new act to the area.
“The band we’re pulling in this year is Jason Craig and the Wingman. They are out of the Kansas City area,” she said. “I think they’re gonna be a lot of fun.”
The band, she said, brings a different spin on country music, and something area resident don’t often hear.
One band member will also participate in something a little different this year as the Alliance was challenged to a kayak race on a flowing Big Creek.
“We’ve had a throw-down challenge from the Bukovina boys,” Patee said, who accepted the challenge on behalf of the Alliance and the Walter P. Chrysler Home.
“We’re gonna have fun with that.”
The race will be from the walking bridge to the 10th Street bridge and back.
“It should be a good time to watch,” Patee said.
Click the image above for a full schedule of events.