43rd Annual Tree City Fall Festival breaks records

Sep. 20—GREENSBURG — The 43rd Annual Tree City Fall Festival on the Greensburg Square is now one for the books, and city leaders are suggesting attendance at this year's event might break a few longstanding records.

The festival, which ran from Friday evening through Saturday night, kicked off at the Main Stage at 6 p.m. Friday with vocalist Haley Trenkamp singing the National Anthem followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by the "Littles" contestants.

After the Pledge, Little Miss and Little Mister Ellie Gilbert and Maverick Hebert were crowned, as were Junior Miss Tree City Fall Festival Carley Goss and Miss Tree City Taylor Smith.

Nearly 100 not-for-profit vendors and food trucks opened as local favorite the Rusty Bladen Band warmed up a crowd of nearly record proportions gathered in front of the Main Stage.

Bladen was followed by AC/DC tribute band Dirty Deeds, and the Boston band closed the evening with a theatrical trip through rock and roll history.

Early the next morning, the Caleb Brown Memorial 5K and Fun Run kicked off without incident, and Gilliland-Howe Funeral Home played host to a cruise-in.

More than 100 personalities and individual floats stopped traffic on Broadway and Washington streets during the 43rd Annual Herb Kohler Parade, with the Decatur County Greensburg Marching Band providing some parade funk. The most humorous entry had to be the North Decatur Elementary School teaching staff dressed as a school bus picking up students.

Feeders Pet Supply hosted their first annual Pet Costume Contest and the winners received goody bags full of treats and personal care products.

The Ohio Rail Experience was expected to deliver Abraham Lincoln to town at the intersection of Greensburg's railroad tracks at Broadway Street, but the short-lived railroad workers strike that began Friday evening canceled the Abe Lincoln reenactor's arrival by train.

Fortunately, Lincoln did appear and gave a short speech on Broadway Street in front of the Visit Greensburg office. Afterward, the Indiana Wind Symphony played an hour of period and modern wind pieces, marked by an occasional Jon Philip Sousa march to keep the audience tapping their toes.

Cincinnati magician Cody Clark practiced his slight of hand to a delighted audience near the courthouse, children frolicked in bouncy houses, and festival-goers shopped and dined on the south and east sides of the square from dawn until dusk.

From the afternoon and far into the evening, bands on the Main Stage made sure the whole square was dancing. Without even a short pause, the Dane Clark Band started playing after the Wind Ensemble and was followed by the Jon Bon Jovi Tribute Band "Crush."

It should be said that this year's musical tribute bands were well chosen, with performances that could rival their original LP vinyl soundtracks. It is obvious a well organized Fall Festival Committee put much work into the year's successful event, leaving Greensburg residents much to look forward to at fall festivals in the future.

Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com