The Goodhue Jaycees and the City of Goodhue, along with multiple businesses, sponsors and other organizations, are once again producing what promises to be an outstanding summer festival. The main events are scheduled for June 7th, 8th and 9th but kick off with the first medallion hunt clue and pool games on the 5th. All events are listed on their website, www.goodhuevolksfest.com which states, “Volksfest is a small town community, family fun, you name it we got it kind of good time! Bring the whole family to enjoy some games and nightly entertainment.”
Goodhue High School Junior girls are eligible to compete for the title of Miss Goodhue. She, her two attendants and Miss Congeniality will be chosen Friday night in a 7 p.m. ceremony in gym #1. Volksfest King and Queen and the parade Grand Marshall will also be announced. Then head downtown to enjoy The Dads band and Hairball rocking the street dance.
A full day of events starts Saturday morning with a road rally, car and quilt shows and the Udder Run. St. Peter’s Church will again host a free-will offering burrito breakfast with proceeds donated to the Goodhue Fire Department. A craft and vendor show will be held in the Lion’s Community Center from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The show will feature new participants including The Book Cellar, offering a pop-up book fair experience. You can try your luck at Bingo in the fire hall beginning at 1 p.m. or enjoy the music of Tyler Stehr in the Corner Bar at 2 p.m.
For the athletic there are volleyball, basketball, and bean bag tournaments. Many of the events raise money to benefit local organizations including the dance team which will be selling pork sandwiches at the park. The kids will enjoy the bounce party inside gym #3 and the pedal tractor pull in the street alongside the garden tractor pull Saturday afternoon.
Saturday’s street dance opens at 6 p.m. featuring Bryan Anderson, Chad Johnson and the Minnesota Transplants, and Justin Moore. Moore is an Arkansas native who won the Academy of Country Music’s New Artist of the Year award in 2014. The first of his 12 number one hits is titled, Small Town USA, a fitting anthem as he includes Goodhue on his current tour.
The big acts say they have a lot of fun doing the more intimate, small town shows. Some of the artists have brought their families or walked around town ahead of their performance, amazed at how the empty street later swells with fans. Treyben Kehren, Goodhue Jaycees Volksfest chairman, relays “Every single artist who has performed here said they absolutely loved the experience and would be happy to come back”.
Volksfest continues Sunday morning with the Lion’s serving Dad’s Belgian Waffles beginning at 9 a.m.
Everyone is welcome to a community worship service with guest speaker, Pastor Pheng Moua from Immanuel Hmong Lutheran Church in St. Paul, also at 9 a.m. The annual parade begins at 1 p.m. and festivities wrap up with the fire departments water fight at 2 p.m.
Whether you are 8 or 80, love country music or rock and roll, fancy cars or fireworks, road rallies or foot races, you will find entertainment throughout Goodhue June 7th - 9th. Come enjoy a fun weekend that supports the whole community.
