With the construction of the Legion and Lions parks’ ball fields complete and baseball and softball tournaments in full swing, Eureka Days organizers are taking inspiration from one of America’s favorite pastimes for the upcoming three-day festival.
Eureka Parks and Recreation Department Supervisor Lizzie Roberds said this year’s theme is “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” The festival is scheduled to be held Friday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Sept. 29, at Legion and Lions parks.
The parks are located across from each other on Bald Hill Road.
“We’re leaning into that baseball theme since the fields are wrapping up,” Roberds said. “We’re going to have a little sports zone in the small Legion parking lot. We’ll have a bunch of yard games with the baseball theme and the Eureka junior firefighters will be running a dunk tank there. I’m sure they’ll be taking volunteers for people to sit in the tank.”
The annual First Responders Home Run Derby will be modified this year, Roberds said. In years past, the derby was a friendly matchup between Eureka Fire Protection District and Eureka Police Department to raise money for BackStoppers.
This year, the derby, held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 at Lions Park field 1, will be played by youth baseball players instead of first responders. Play9Sports, which has a contract with the city to offer youth tournaments at Lions and Legion parks, is organizing the derby, Roberds said.
“We will still be supporting the Eureka Fire Protection District, the Eureka Police Department and BackStoppers, but the kids will be able to go out there and pitch, which I think will be a lot of fun,” she said. “We’re hoping a bunch of families come out and help us out with that. They will be able to do team red or team blue, whether they’re team fire or team police.”
Eureka Days will feature carnival rides, vendors, live music, knockerball, kickball and children’s activities, Roberds said.
Artisan vendors include Flowers by Jill, Feed Your Skin Apothecary and Grateful Living Creations.
Food vendors will include the Nutty Sisters, Singers Ice Cream, Honey Bea Tea, Bougie Bites STL and Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee.
“We’re very excited and ready for a good time,” Roberds said. “There are so many vendors – ice cream and gyros, funnel cakes and hot dogs and burgers and kabobs. The loaded mashed potatoes are making a comeback. There’s a wide variety this year.”
Attractions
The first day of the festival will feature a coed adult kickball tournament from 6:30-10 p.m. Sept. 27 on the Lions Park fields 1 and 2.
Teams will play 30-minute games or four innings in a double-elimination tournament. Winning teams will receive a T-shirt.
The tournament is full, but teams can join a wait-list by visiting the kickball tournament page on the city’s website, eureka.mo.us/515/Kickball-Tournament.
American Banner Amusements will provide carnival rides, which will operate from 5-11 p.m. Sept. 27, noon to 11 p.m. Sept. 28 and noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 29.
About 10 to 15 rides will be available.
Tickets are on sale in advance for $18 for a sheet of 24 tickets at the following locations:
■ Timbers of Eureka Recreation Center, 1 Coffey Park Lane.
■ Commerce Bank, 203 East Fifth St.
■ Farmers and Merchants Bank, 619 Stockell Drive.
■ First Community Credit Union, 131 Eureka Towne Center Drive.
■ Lindell Bank, 219 Thresher Drive.
Tickets are $20 for a sheet of 24 during the festival.
Admission for rides varies for the first two days of Eureka Days, but Sept. 29 will be $1 ride day, when admission is only one ticket for each ride.
Music acts
Bands are scheduled to perform on the main stage and at the beer garden every day of the festival.
The Tailgators are scheduled to perform from 6-10 p.m. Sept. 27. The five-piece band plays dance and rock music in the St. Louis area, according to its website. The band played on the last day of Eureka Days last year.
“We’re excited to have (The Tailgators) back on our stage,” Roberds said. “It’s definitely a party when they come out.”
On Sept. 28, a few members from the band Count of Monte Carlo will perform on the beer garden stage in the Legion Park south parking lot from 1-4 p.m. The band has a total of eight members and plays classic hits and chart toppers.
Also on Sept. 28, The Teenage Dirtbags will play on the main stage from 6-10 p.m.
“We love having them in town,” Roberds said. “It’s a lot of ’90s music, ’90s country and a couple of early 2000s alternative music.”
On Sept. 29, acoustic guitarist Tom Winter will play from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the beer garden. Steven Woolley and Steve Ewing will play on the main stage from 2-6 p.m.
“‘The Steven and Steve Show’ as they’re sometimes known as,” Roberds said. “They’ve played together for a long time, and we love them.”
Parade
The Eureka Days parade will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 28 along Central Avenue in downtown Eureka.
Participants are encouraged to decorate float and vehicle entries with baseball themes.
Representatives from the high, middle and elementary schools serving the city will be in the parade, along with the marching band, choir members and cheerleaders from Eureka High School.
“The parade is always a blast,” Roberds said. “Our grand marshal this year for the parade is our Limitless League baseball team. People of all ages and all abilities were able to come out for a few weeks in August to play baseball.”
The four-game season was played from Aug. 10-31 at Legion Park.
The program was “an effort to include people of all abilities in the sporting world through baseball,” according to the city’s website. “Those with intellectual and physical disabilities will now have a league dedicated to their needs.”
The parade will start on Central Avenue at Third Street and move south toward Hwy. 109 and the Central Avenue Spur. It will include floats, antique and sports cars and participants will hand out candy.
Roberds said the Bubble Bus will be in the parade lineup, whereas last year it was included in the kid’s activity area.
Floats will be entered into a competition for a cash prize sponsored by Old Town Automotive, according to the city’s website. The first-place float will receive $400. The second-place float will receive $200, and the third-place float will receive $100.
To register for the parade, go to eureka.mo.us/516/Parade.
Parking
There is parking for people with disabilities available at Geggie Elementary School, 430 Bald Hill Road. Roberds said a golf cart shuttle will be available to take those needing assistance from the elementary school to the fairgrounds.
Parking also is available at The River at Eureka at 215 North Central Ave. and at the parking lot to the rear of the Spur, 394 South Central Ave.
Other events
■ Knockerball will be available at Legion Park field 6 from 6-11 p.m. Sept. 27, noon to 11 p.m. Sept. 28 and noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 29. Roberds said in the game, players run into each other inside giant inflatable balls within the boundaries of the course. Daily wristbands for the game can be purchased onsite.
■ The Business Person of the Year and Citizen of the Year award winners will be honored at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 on the main stage.
The Eureka Chamber of Commerce named Terry Selbert, owner of Selbert’s Auto Body, the Business Person of the Year. According to a recent Facebook post, the chamber said Selbert “has shown exceptional dedication, innovation, and leadership, making a significant impact on our community.”
The city had not named the Citizen of the Year award winner by the Leader’s Tuesday deadline.
■ A fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m. Sept. 28 at Legion Park. Roberds said the show will last about 10 minutes.
■ The Kid’s Korner will be set up from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Legion Park south parking lot. The corner includes face painting, games, crafts and caricatures. No preregistration is required, according to the city’s website. Vendors include Circus Kaput, Dance Art Dance Studio, Dream Time Princess Events, Party Paws Mobile Zoo and Code Ninjas.
■ The sixth annual Chicken Wing Eating Contest will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 29 at the main stage. Poor Richard’s will provide the wings and Jeff Fitter with Super Smokers BBQ will emcee, Roberds said. The winner receives a trophy.
■ The cornhole tournament will be held from 1-6 p.m. Sept. 29 at Legion Park field 7. The cost is $20 per team, register at eureka.mo.us/528/Cornhole-Tournament. Roberds said the winning team will receive two cornhole boards from Bullie Bags Cornhole in Imperial.
Schedule
Friday, Sept. 27
5-10:30 p.m.: Bar and beer garden, Legion Park south parking lot
5-11 p.m.: Carnival rides, Community Center parking lot
5-11 p.m.: Vendors, Lions Park parking lot
6-10 p.m.: Live music, The Tailgators, main stage
6-11 p.m.: Knockerball, Legion Park field 6
6-11 p.m.: Kickball tournament, Lions Park fields 1 and 2
6-11 p.m.: Sports zone, Legion Park south parking lot
7 p.m.: National Anthem and American Legion Color Guard Flag Ceremony, main stage
Saturday, Sept. 28
11 a.m.: Eureka Days parade, Central Avenue
Noon-10:30 p.m.: Bar and beer garden, Legion Park south parking lot
Noon-11 p.m.: Carnival rides, Community Center parking lot
Noon-11 p.m.: Vendors, Lions Park parking lot
Noon-11 p.m.: Knockerball, Legion Park field 6
Noon-11 p.m.: Sports zone, Legion Park south parking lot
1-4 p.m.: Live music, Dukes of Monte Carlo, beer garden
6-10 p.m.: Live music, The Teenage Dirtbags, main stage
7 p.m.: Business Person of the Year and Citizen of the Year awards ceremony, main stage
9 p.m.: Fireworks, Legion Park
Sunday, Sept. 29
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Live music, Tom Winter, beer garden
Noon-4 p.m.: Kid’s Korner, Lions Park south parking lot
Noon-5:30 p.m.: Bar and beer garden, Legion Park south parking lot
Noon-6 p.m.: Carnival rides, Community Center parking lot
Noon-6 p.m.: Vendors, Lions Park parking lot
Noon-6 p.m.: Knockerball, Legion Park, field 6
1 p.m.: Chicken wing eating contest, main stage
1-6 p.m.: Cornhole Tournament, Legion Park field 7
2 p.m.: Eureka Chamber of Commerce First Responders Home Run Derby, Lions Park field 1
2-6 p.m.: Live music, Steven Woolley and Steve Ewing, main stage