The upcoming 2023 Hillsboro Homecoming and Festival will have a fishing theme – “Hooked on Hillsboro” – and will include a children’s fishing tournament.
The annual festival, sponsored by the Greater Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce, is set for Friday and Saturday, May 19-20, along and around Main Street in Hillsboro.
Live musical performances will be held on the main stage across from the Jefferson County Courthouse, 300 Main St.
A golf tournament is being held in conjunction with the festival on May 18 at Raintree Country Club in Hillsboro.
Other festivities include carnival rides and vendor booths.
“This year, we’re going to have a lot of craft vendors,” she said. “We’ve got 32 spots.
“Something else we’ll have is The Wildlife Command Center-Raptor Rescue Inc. They take care of wounded and injured birds and will have some of them there on display.”
The annual festival parade through the city streets will be at 11 a.m. May 20.
Kids fishing tourney
A children’s fishing tournament is set for the evening of May 19 at a pond on the Hillsboro R-3 School District Bridle Ridge Farm along Business 21 in the city.
“They’ll have to register to be part of the fishing tournament. It’s for children ages 2 to 12,” chamber board member Mandy Alley said.
The deadline to register children for the tournament is May 5. To register, visit hillsborochamberofcommerce.com and go to the Kids Fishing Tournament entry form. It costs $20 to register, and the event will be capped at 30 participants for each of the two age groups: 2-7 and 8-12.
Alley, formerly the chamber’s executive director, said she thought up the fishing angle for the annual festival.
“The fishing theme was an idea I had a few years ago when the school district bought the farm,” she said. “I approached (Superintendent Jon) Isaacson and they were receptive. I thought it was a great opportunity for parents and grandparents who’ve wanted to fish at that pond all these years to bring their kids and grandkids to fish in it.”
Each age group will get an hour to fish, with the 2-7 age group fishing from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and the 8-12-year-olds from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
“The registration fee includes a T-shirt, and there will be prizes for the largest and most impressive fish,” Alley said. “We will give prizes for the winner in each age groups.
“They’ll bring their own poles. We’ll provide worms. FFA kids (students interested in agriculture) from the school will assist in putting bait on the hooks and with casting.”
Festival schedule
May 19
■ 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Kids Fishing Tournament at Bridle Ridge Farm.
■ 6 p.m.: Official opening.
■ 6 p.m. to midnight: Carnival.
■ 8 p.m. to midnight: Klose Kuarters, a rock band from St. Louis, performs.
May 20
■ 6:30 a.m.: 5-K run registration at Bridle Ridge Farm. Run starts at 7 a.m.
■ 7-11 a.m.: Rotary Pancake Breakfast at Hillsboro Intermediate School, 10478 Business 21.
■ 9 a.m.: Craft and business vendor booths open.
■ 10 a.m.: Parade lineup forms behind Hillsboro Intermediate School. Parade starts at 11 a.m. and proceeds south on Business 21 to right on Main Street, ending behind the Jefferson County Courthouse parking area.
■ 11 a.m. to midnight: Carnival continues.
■ Noon: Opening with the national anthem and a performance by the Hillsboro Intermediate Treble singers.
■ Noon to 8 p.m.: Wildlife Command Center-Raptor Rescue Inc. (near the Kids Corner).
■ Noon to 4 p.m.: Kids Corner presented by The Parenting Network, a Jefferson County Community Partnership program.
■ 12:15 p.m.: Parade winners and other announcements.
■ 12:30 p.m.: Armed Forces Ceremony at the parking lot of the Jefferson County Administration Center, 729 Maple St., in Hillsboro.
■ 12:30-3:30 p.m.: Frank Ray and Mel Besher will play bluegrass, country and acoustic music.
■ 3-3:30 p.m.: Pie-eating contest.
■ Noon: Car show registration on Main Street near Hillsboro City Hall: Car show is noon to 4 p.m.
■ 1 p.m. Cornhole tournament near the Jefferson County Health Department, 405 Main St., in Hillsboro.
■ 3:30-6 p.m.: Vince Martin with guest Dawn Turlington will play soft rock.
■ 6 p.m. Line dancing with Earline Abney.
■ 7-11 p.m. The Hound, a country band from Jefferson County, will perform.
For more information about the festival, call 636-481-6718 or visit hillsborochamberofcommerce.com.