EXELAND HOSTS 33rd ANNUAL TROUT FEST
The 33rd annual Exeland Trout Festival, sponsored by the Exeland Rod & Gun Club, will be held over Labor Day weekend, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, August 29, 30 & 31. Festivities begin Friday at the Sports Center at 5:00 p.m. A trout sandwich basket will be the specialty for the night. The men’s double elimination softball tournament kicks-off with a game at 6:0
0 p.m. Everyone is welcome to play on the Bean Bag court during the evening. Music will start off with Rich Schroeder Music from 5:30-7:45 p.m. Presentation of the Medallion Hunt winner is at 7:00 p.m. This year's Grand Marshals Denny & Sue Kopras will be presented. CHRIS KROEZE will take the stage from 7:45-10:00 p.m. Appropriately, Saturday’s events start with a trout fishing contest. Registration is on Main Street. The contest begins at 7:30 a.m. and concludes at 11:30 a.m. Entry fee is proof of a festival button. Contest is for brook trout only. Trophies will be awarded to the top three fish. The trout fishing in the Exeland area this year has been unbelievable! The Dave Lindau Memorial pancake breakfast will be from 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. inside the Exeland Rod & Gun Clubhouse located at the Sports Center. Main Street will be busy on Saturday morning beginning at 8:00 a.m. Rummage sales, craft sales, garage sales, a bake sale and a salad luncheon will be going on. If you have a craft booth or other items to sell, just show up, find a spot on the street, and start selling. There is no fee to vendors. Participate in the Road to Trail 5k. All ages welcome. The course for 2023 will start and finish on the Exeland Trout Fest Grounds. Race starts at 9 am. Registration for the 5k Trail Run/Walk and the Little Trout Kids run will both take place at 8:00 a.m. at the pavilion. Follow the many sporting events taking place at the Sports Center. Enjoy watching the softball tourney & volleyball tourney. The horseshoe court will open all day for everyone to enjoy and compete on their own. The 32-team Bean Bag Toss tournament begins at 11:00 a.m. 100% payback. Top 6 places will receive cash. Entry fee for 2-person team is $20. Inflatables will be scattered on the grounds to entertain the kid’s. Enough fun to entertain them all day. A wrist band needs to be purchased to get into the inflatables. Nobody should go hungry. Stop at one of the Rod & Gun Club’s concession areas or pay the food vendors a visit. There’s a lot of good food everywhere. There will be music by THE GATORS at 12:30 p.m., drawing for the 33rd Anniversary raffle with be at 6:30 p.m., the Queen Coronation will be at 5:30 p.m., Kids bikes will also be given away. Sunday’s events continue in the morning at 7:30 a.m. with the pancake breakfast at the Rod & Gun Clubhouse located at the Sports Center. Blueberry pancakes are the specialty. Breakfast concludes at 10:30 a.m. At high noon the “Joe Trcka Memorial Parade” with many units will move down Main Street. One of the best small town parades in the area with lots of candy being tossed out to the kids. If you haven’t registered your unit yet and would like to be in the parade, just show up at Swan Creek Park between 11 – 11:30 a.m. This year’s grand marshals are to be announced. After the parade, it’s back to the Sports Center to be part of the many events still going on. Watch the finals of all the sporting events. Once again, the kids can enjoy the inflatables that are on the ground. At 1:00 p.m. a delicious “chicken dinner” will be available. Plus, a lot of other good food will be available all day in the pavilion. Music by The Big Fish Band begins at 1:30 p.m. BINGO at 2:00 p.m. Lawnmower Races begin at 2:00 p.m. Two more kid’s bikes will also be given away at 3:00. At 5:30 p.m. in the pavilion, all of the drawings will be held for the raffle prizes. The $100 cash raffle, the 4-wheeler, small cash prizes, kayak and a deer rifle will go to the lucky winners who have purchased raffle tickets. Come, join the fun and help Exeland celebrate 33rd Annual Exeland Trout Festival. "Lure of a Good Time!"
Check back for a more informative listing of events. For more information call Jim Ge**er at 715-943-2242.
