Afton weekend events to bring music, community

AFTON - With summer in swing, event organizers in Afton looks to bring a swing to the city with three events that will bring the town together this weekend with community fun.

Each of these events are held by a separate community group in Afton, with sponsors and businesses familiar and local to the city.

Annual Pancake Supper

The Afton Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting a pancake supper in the fire department building. Pancakes will be served alongside eggs, sausages and beverages.

The supper will take place on Saturday, June 29 from 5-7 p.m. in the Volunteer Fire Department building at 110 West Kansas Street.

The Volunteer Fire Department will be accepting free will donations throughout the two hour supper. All funds will go toward a new gear extractor for the department, which will remove deadly carcinogens which attach to turnout and bunker gear.

A gear extractor is a high-power washer that removes damaging physical and chemical contaminants from gear. Firefighters are constantly under the pressure of dangerous situations that leaves residue on the gear. A new extractor will help the Volunteer Fire Department stay safe in the long-term.

The event was delayed to June from its original date of April 27 because of the storm the night before causing a 21-hour power outage in Afton. The fire department worked to manage the scene and prevent further damage throughout the night.

Kansas Street Boogie

Immediately following the supper is the Kansas Street Boogie, taking over the south side of the town square and turning Kansas Street into a dance party.

The event will take place starting at 7 p.m., making it worth heading east after the pancake supper. Gates open for the event at 6:30 p.m. with $10 per person and will end late into the evening at 11 p.m.

The Afton Community Club, who also host the weekly Tuesday Night in the Park, will be organizing the event, with a sponsorship from local restaurant El Ranchito, who will hold the event outside their building at 183 East Kansas Street.

Music will be played by local band Garrett and the Relics, who play rock and roll covers. The street will be gated off with road closure signs for the event. El Ranchito’s alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase at the event.

Pre-4th Celebration

The following day brings one of Afton’s biggest events with the annual Pre-4th Celebration. Sunday hopes to bring the Afton community together for a full day of events and highlights across the city.

The Pre-4th is held by the Afton Lions Club, with the event serving as the club’s largest fundraiser of the year. The Lions Club holds events for various holidays in Afton, most recently with an Easter egg hunt in the park square.

The day begins at 10 a.m. with a community church service, with a Dollars for Scholars fundraiser lunch in the park at 11. Starting at noon will be the opening time for vendors and will remain open for the rest of the event.

The main event with the Pre-4th Car Show begins at 1 p.m., bringing sleek show cars to the celebration. Registration is free for the event starting at noon. Three trophies will be awarded, Kid’s Choice, Kids Power Wheel, and the People’s Choice.

Also starting at 1 p.m. are park activities for the little ones. Carnival games and inflatables promise a fun time. Those activities alongside participation in water fights organized by the Volunteer Fire Department will require paid wristbands.

Iowa State University and the Gibson Memorial Library will hold their own separate activities free-of-charge. For those who hate cars or want to have some destructive fun, three whacks at a vehicle will be given for the low price of $1.

At 2 p.m., food trucks will arrive to the square to provide meals. Jaws of life, also known as a hydraulic rescue tool, is a tool used for freeing people from trapped circumstances like mangled cars or collapsed structures and will receive a demonstration at 3 p.m.

Finally, starting at 3 p.m. will see live music performed by the Mike Walsh Band, who will play until the end of the event around 6 p.m. The Mike Walsh Band performs rock and country covers, and should bring plenty of American spirit to the pre-independence day show.