Four new attractions have been added to this year’s Eureka Days schedule, including a child-size claw machine, a kickball tournament, a cornhole tournament and a First Responder Home Run Derby.
The three-day festival will be held Friday, Sept. 30, through Sunday, Oct. 2.
Most of the events will take place in Legion and Lions parks, which sit across from each other on Bald Hill Road. The festival is scheduled to be open from 5-11 p.m. Sept. 30, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 1 and noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 2.
Eureka Parks and Recreation coordinator Lizzie Roberds said she is excited about the Kid Klaw, which will be open all three days in Lions Park. For the human-sized version of the classic arcade claw-machine game, children will be strapped into a harness.
“It is a giant claw machine, but the kid is the claw,” she said.
The kickball tournament is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Sept. 30 on the baseball fields at Lions Park.
Roberds said the tournament bracket can accommodate up to eight teams, each consisting of nine or 10 players. It cots $50 per team to participate, and teams can sign up by emailing recreation supervisor Luke Hollman at lhollman@eureka.mo.us.
Roberds said the winning team in the double-elimination tournament will win a trophy.
“We are trying to find something fun to bring people out on (Sept. 30) other than some awesome music and carnival rides,” Roberds said.
The cornhole tournament is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Oct. 1 in Legion Park. The tourney can field a maximum of 25 two-person teams, which will compete for one of three trophies.
The cost to enter the tournament is $40 per team, and Bullie Bags Cornhole will oversee the event.
“We tried to do it last year, but it got rained out,” Eureka Parks and Recreation Director Kristin Christenson said.
The First Responder Home Run Derby, which is sponsored by the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, makes its debut on Oct. 2. Roberds said Eureka Fire Protection District firefighters and Eureka Police officers will compete against each other in the event, which is slated to run from 2-5 p.m. at Lions Park.
“I’m interested to see how many home runs get hit,” Roberds said.
Tradition
Christenson said she believes Eureka Days has been held for more than 30 years.
“It’s a tradition,” Christenson said. “It’s been going on for a long time and you look forward to it every year. I grew up here and it was the thing to do.”
Roberds said she is excited about the new events, but several fan favorites like the parade, carnival rides and chicken wing-eating contest, return this year.
“It’s just so fun to watch everything come together,” she said. “This is months and months of planning.”
Roberds said she is hoping for no rain after part of the event was rained out last year.
“I am doing what I can to make deals with the universe to make this weekend go off without a hitch,” she said.
Roberds said the city has budgeted $63,000 for the three-day event.
Glass bottles, bikes, scooters, rollerblades and tents are not allowed in the fairgrounds.
Roberds said coolers are allowed, as are well-behaved dogs. However, dogs will not be allowed in the food vendor area.
Parade
The Eureka Days Parade will kick off the Oct. 1 events at 11 a.m.
“It will start on Central Avenue at Third Street and move south toward Hwy. 109,” Roberds said.
Roberds said the parade will not turn onto Dreyer Avenue, like in past years, but will continue on Central Avenue and end at Hwy. 109.
“We started that last year, and it worked out super well,” she said.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Autumn Nights and Carnival Lights.” Those wishing to march in the parade can sign up at eurekadays.com.
Roberds said all parade entries will be required to pass out candy.
Mayor Sean Flower said his favorite part of the three-day event is the parade, which he plans to attend. He said he is excited to walk up and down the route several times this year, since no COVID-19 orders are in place.
“This will be the first truly normal one,” he said. “I am excited about that.”
Other events
■ Steven Woolley & the Groove, which plays country and rock ’n’ roll music, will perform from 6-10 p.m. Sept. 30 on the main stage, just off Bald Hill Road facing Lions Park.
■ Bubble bus, noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 1 at Lions Park.
■ The Teenage Dirtbags, which perform pop hits from the ’90s and alternative rock, will perform from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 1 on the main stage.
■ A fireworks show is scheduled to begin at about 9 p.m. Oct. 1. Roberds said the fireworks will be launched from Drewel Park, which is west of Lions Park.
■ Russ Wellington and Cody Goggin of Unspecific Railroad, which played at a summer block party this year, will be return for a show from noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 2 in the beer garden. Wellington is a public works employee for the city. The duo is expected to play country, blues, and rock and roll.
“They are doing an acoustic duet,” Roberds said.
■ The fourth annual chicken wing-eating contest will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 2 at the main stage.
“I am looking forward to doing much better in the chicken wing eating contest,” Roberds said. “I have been practicing.”
■ The band Out by 9, which plays rock music, will perform from 2-6 p.m. Oct. 2 on the main stage.
■ Roberds said L and S Barrel Rides will offer rides from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Lions Park pavilion. She said children will be able to take a ride throughout the fairgrounds in a barrel train for free.
■ Carnival rides will cost $1 each on Oct. 2.
For more information, go to eurekadays.com.