Crawfordsville comes together for Fun Days

People gathered on a few blocks of Main Street in Crawfordsville Saturday to watch the Fun Days parade, part of the two-day celebration in the small town.

The parade was short but flashy, featuring the local Cub Scout pack, several ambulances and fire trucks and antique tractors. Candy rained from the vehicles and grinning children walked away with shopping bags full of treats.

Fun Days isn’t just for the 350 residents of Crawfordsville. It attracts family and alumni of the town. Jenny Kauffman, the parade’s grand marshal, welcomed back her four children and 10 grandchildren to join in the festivities for the weekend.

“They all love coming back to the small town. It’s hard to describe the feeling of a small town,” Kaufmann said. “They have a great time seeing people they grew up with.”

Kaufmann has lived in Crawfordsville for 23 years. She was the nurse at WACO Community Schools until her early retirement in 2016, and she said she enjoyed working with the parade because it brought the community together.

“It’s a tradition that’s gone on for so many years, we need to keep those traditions going,” she said. “And it means a lot to everybody.”

After the parade, the town offered pony rides, face painting and lunch from the Lions Club.

At the pony ride station, Anitha Barrera, 10, and Ethan Perez, 4, sat on ponies as they trotted in a gated circle.

“It was really fun,” Barrera said. “I love horses.”

At 11 a.m., the local fire department staged a “water fight.” Firefighters lined up on Main Street, two three-person crews operating one fire hose each. For sixty seconds, both crews would train their hoses on a barrel suspended on a rope above the street and try to push it to the other side.

Before the water fight, Crawfordsville’s Andrew Clark was given a plaque by the fire department recognizing his service of 33 years with the volunteer department after his retirement. Over the years, Clark had served as the assistant chief, chief and captain.

He said he stayed for 33 years because he loved being a firefighter and serving his community.

“What kid doesn’t grow up wanting to be a firefighter or policeman?” he said.

Other events during the celebration included a pedal tractor pull at noon, and a family friendly scavenger hunt across town at 12:30. On Friday, Fun Days began with a bags tournament and a showing of Disney’s “Cruella.”