ELSMORE — Elsmore Ruritan Club, a community service organization serving the Elsmore/Savonburg area, will sponsor the 48th annual Elsmore Rural-Town Days this weekend.
The bulk of the activities run Saturday in downtown Elsmore, with a golf tournament Sunday at Cedarbrook Golf Course in Iola.
Saturday’s activities begin in the Elsmore Community Building with arts and crafts booths and personnel from the Iola office of Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department giving flu shots from 9 a.m. to noon. A selection of used books is available in the southeast corner of the building, which are free to take or trade. Bake sale items including cornbread and concessions with homemade ice cream will be available in the community building.
During the day people can view antique farm equipment and visit a petting zoo. John Barker with Uncle John’s Backyard Entertainment will entertain folks with music selections and emcee the day’s events.
The Main Street parade, with a theme of “Elsmore Ruritan: Nifty Fifty Strong!” begins at 11. Parade grand marshals are Martin Henderson and Max Ludlum, 50-year club members. The club celebrated its 50th anniversary in April.
Children’s games, including turtle races, bike races, egg toss, ball throw and water balloon toss begin at 12:30 p.m. A Cornhole Tournament will also be held. At 2 o’clock, a baby contest will be open to children 1 year and younger. Bingo games follow at 3, and at 4 a free bean feed will be served to the public. Participants must bring their own kettle or table service.
Merchant prize drawings will be held during the bean feed. Entry into the merchant drawing is free but winners must be present to collect prizes. The final drawing will be for $100, $50, $25, a bicycle rack and a garden push cart. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and winners need not be present.
Festivalgoers are encouraged to stay and enjoy country music from 7 to 10 p.m. courtesy of Country Rebels. There is no charge to attend but a freewill donation will be accepted.
The scene shifts to Cedarbrook on Sunday morning for the Elsmore Ruritan Annual Golf Tournament. The four-person scramble begins at 9 a.m. Entry fee is $40 per person. A meal is available for golfers to purchase. To register for the tournament, call Loraine Price at 754-3487 or Cedarbrook Golf Course.
Elsmore Day and the golf tournament serve as Elsmore Ruritan Club’s biggest fund raiser. Proceeds go toward a number of projects including donations to Marmaton Valley High School activities, area church youth activities, college scholarships, Christmas gift bags to area senior citizens and school children, sponsoring Allen County Fair trophies, helping with cleanup around the Bourbon State Lake and hosting a dog and cat vaccination clinic.
The 53 Ruritan members helped in developing the city’s playground and in renovating the community building to house the fitness center. The club adopts several area families around Thanksgiving and gives them a box of food. Club members also help the Humboldt Ministerial Alliance in a monthly distribution of food to area families and keep a food pantry to supplement the distributions when necessary. Items are also collected to replenish the Blessings Box near the community building. A dropbox for non-perishable food items will be located at the concession stand for persons wishing to donate non-perishable food items or small household items such as dish or hand soap, toothpaste, bandaids, sanitizer, etc.
Elsmore festival Saturday
