The Hiawatha Maple Leaf Festival is set for Saturday, Sept. 28 and organizers with the Hiawatha Chamber and Visitors Bureau are excited about this year’s lineup of activities. This annual festival can be found in downtown Hiawatha around the courthouse square, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each September. Maple Leaf 2024 will be bringing in some fantastic music — as the Chamber is featuring True North as the headlining band, scheduled for a noon performance on the north side of the courthouse steps. Chamber Administrator Sarah Kleopfer said there will be a couple of new performers this year: Lisa Scholz, from the Highland area, who will be performing at 10 am, and South Wind, a band out of Manhattan, featuring Hiawatha’s own Christian Shaffer at 11 am. The Hiawatha Headliners (1:30 pm) and Tori Wist (2 pm) will round out the musical entertainment for the afternoon. Find all of them on the north steps of the Brown County Courthouse. Children’s entertainment and carnival attractions, along with local magician Barron Stringfellow — who will be performing on the south side of the courthouse at 11 a.m. this year — craft and food vendors will set the stage for an awesome fall festival. Back this year will be a petting zoo, which can be also be found on the southwest side of the square. Kleopfer said the Chamber board was excited to bring in several new children’s entertainers this year. This includes the Bluffwoods Boffers, Entertainment & Games. Dive into the world of Live Action Role Play and learn how to battle! Also new this year will be Karen Smith, balloon artist. Songwriter and author Karla Bauer of Kansas City will be entertaining at 10:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. on the south side of the courthouse lawn near the petting zoo. Kleopfer confirmed that nearly 60 craft, home decor and business vendors will be set up around the square, along with several food vendors that will be spread out on Oregon Street, where picnic tables will be set out for festival-goers. In conjunction with the Maple Leaf Festival, Heartland Realty and the Brown County Humane Society are sponsoring an inflatable costume race, which begins at Heartland Realty at 9 a.m. This race is to raise awareness of the Humane Society’s spay and neuter program. Everyone is welcome! Back this year will be the car show, found on the west side of the courthouse on Seventh Street. Stop by to check out the vintage rides that will be featured. Anyone interested in entering the car show can contact Tom Martin at (785) 288-0402 or Philip Grabhorn at (785) 288-8912.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
