Bits By Betty—October 29, 2015
The following appeared in the Rock County Star Herald on October 28, 1999:
Drumsticks, leaves, pumpkins, corn. . . .
About 500 people consume 3,000 grilled chicken drumsticks during Fall Festival
Luverne’s first Fall Festival won’t be the last, according to the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce Office. Next year’s plans are already being discussed, and this year’s is being called a success.
Gold’n Plump donated 3,000 chicken drumsticks to the party, and by the end of the day, all were gone. An estimated 500 people sampled the free lunch.
Because harvest may have interfered with Saturday’s attendance, next year’s Fall Festival may be held at an earlier date to make for an even bigger crowd.
The Fall Festival Committee is already coming up with new ideas and wants to add more features to the day.
Second to the food, the highlights of this year’s festival were the contests. Winners this year were Austin Van Santen with the biggest leaf, Jennifer Joldersma with the biggest pumpkin and Keith Van Westen with the longest ear of corn.
Competition was especially stiff in the leaf category with 65 entries.
Other attractions were the Holly Hoppers Square Dancers and Mr. Toot’s Mini Magic Show. Area 4-H groups decorated street lamp poles with corn stalks and fall displays to add more fall ambiance to the downtown.
The idea for a Fall Festival surfaced when Gold’n Plump had a surplus of chicken drumsticks to donate to the community and the city wanted to provide residents with a special occasion to eat them.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.