By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Planning for the biggest party of the summer is already underway in Ellinwood. A couple of weeks ago, the After Harvest Festival Planning Committee met to finalize dates and begin planning for the 51st annual event. AHF Chairperson Nancy Baird said this year's festival will run from Thursday, July 18 through Saturday, July 20.
"Chris Komarek, city administrator, was at the meeting," Baird said. "It was confirmed that we'll be able to hold the After Harvest Festival back down on the bricks again this year. That seemed to be very well received last year and it worked nicely having everything down there so we'll be doing that again this year."
The committee is already lining up musical acts for the weekend, and the community barbecue will again include a Shine and Show car show on July 18. Baird said a big push this year is finding activities for middle and high school students like a dodgeball or flag football tournament or an outdoor movie night.
"That is one disadvantage with us not having a carnival anymore," she said. "It is tough to really find activities for the middle and high school age. We find kids' activities to add in, but we're just trying to find things to help fill that void a little bit. That also comes with a need of volunteers or organizations to run those activities."
Baird said groups or organizations may be able to use those events as a fundraiser. The AHF Committee will be releasing more information about the 2024 event in the coming weeks. Anyone with questions or wishing to sign up as a volunteer can email [email protected].