Busy weekend on tap

A week of sizzling temperatures will end with a weekend of sizzling events — Bluegrass at the Lake and Threshing Days in Goessel.

Bluegrass at the Lake

Despite hot weather, this weekend is expected to bring the year’s largest crowd of campers to Marion County Park and Lake.

Most years, nearly twice as many campers use sites with electric service on Bluegrass weekend as on Memorial Day weekend, according to lake superintendent Issac Hett.

A $10 wristband will admit visitors to Friday and Saturday events at this year’s festival. Last year, 504 wristbands were sold.

Bands to be featured this year include Wayne and Jamie; Dustin Arbuckle and the Damnations; The Power Lilies; Robin Roberts and Billie Preston; Huffy and the NightTrain; Unfortunate Sons; and Sunflower Station.

Dustin Arbuckle and The Damnations are described as a “cross-genre electric Americana vibe.”

The Power Lilies is a four-member female Americana troupe made up of Betsey Mae, Elexa Dawson, Jenna Rae, and Patti Steel. Their music is folk, rock, and soul. Each has an established following from her own projects.

Robin Roberts and Billie Preston, based in Wichita, perform folk and bluegrass music.

Huffy and the NightTrain perform bluegrass, jamgrass, and cover music.

Unfortunate Sons perform country, rock, and rhythm and blues music.

Sunflower Station is a five-member traditional bluegrass band.

The festival will include a silent auction, food vendors, and a cornhole tournament.

Threshing Days

A huge array of antique farm equipment will be featured Friday through Sunday at this year’s 51st Country Threshing Days at Mennonite Heritage and Agricultural Museum in Goessel.

The annual celebration and demonstration commemorates the coming of Mennonite farmers to Marion County and explores Mennonite heritage.

A free community meal at Goessel high school cafeteria from 5 to 6:45 p.m. Friday will kick off the festival.

It will be followed by a 7 p.m. heritage presentation in the auditorium. “From Russia to Kansas, a Story of the 1874 Mennonite Immigration: will be a narrated pictorial presentation with firsthand accounts, describing the journey of the Alexanderwohl immigrants. It is one of several 150th anniversary talks this year.

Other events will include a parade downtown at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Demonstrations of sawmills, draft horses, threshing and field operations, steam tractors, and large stationary engines will be featured through the weekend.

Threshing Days will include children’s activities and a pedal tractor pull, with a pedal tractor raffle.

Gates will open at noon Friday. Camper parking will be available as will Mennonite meals Saturday and Sunday

Admission is $7 and good for all three days.