—Katherine Doty/Tribune-Courier
Locally-made sorghum and honey will be just a few of the treats available at the Aurora Country Festival. The festival begins Friday and runs through Sunday offering plenty of fair food and live entertainment.
Tribune-Courier News Editor
areed@tribunecourier.com
AURORA — Residents and businesses in Aurora are gearing up for the annual Aurora Country Festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
J.W. Davis, chairman of the festival, promised a weekend full of food, rides and entertainment.
“We’re having a parade on Saturday at 11 a.m. This year’s theme is a salute to the first responders,” Davis said. “We’re privileged to have Ricky Sirls, chief of the Aurora-Ross Fire Department as our grand marshall.”
Davis said other entertainment will include an antique car show, and live music from Kathleen Steadman, Big Auger and Kentucky Opry Future Star winners Lanie Evans and Savannah Gardner. The festival also offers karaoke for all aspiring singers.
“We’re going to have the Sorghum House at the Aurora Visitors’ Center offering fresh honey and sorghum,” Davis said. “We’re also hosting concession stands and rides for kids.”
Davis added the Lakeland Actors will have a scroll for guests to sign. The scroll will contain messages of thanks to soldiers in the 101st Airborne for their service in the War on Terror.
The festival also offers two parking areas: one at the Kenlake State Resort Park stage area and another at the Visitors’ Center. U.S. 68 will only be closed during the parade, leaving the festival accessible from both Trigg County and Draffenville.
He added several Aurora restaurants could offer food, including Aurora Bar-B-Que, recently damaged by a fire, and Belew’s which closes at the end of the summer season.
Sue Festes, co-owner of the Hitching Post Country Store, said her business will also provide entertainment.
“We’re doing a couple of things,” Festes said. “On Friday, we will have a master pumpkin carver, and on Saturday, we’re having a chainsaw carver. We also have 85 different brands of nostalgic soda pop and we’ll have a tasting Saturday and Sunday.”
Randy Newcomb, director of Marshall County Tourism, said the festival is heading into its 35th year.
“We’re having arts and crafts, food, vendors, entertainment and the honey and sorghum,” Newcomb said. “It’s a great country fall festival.”
For more information, visit www.aurorajonathancreek.com.
