On Friday, June 13, Old Settlers Days is kicking off a week of family events, live music and local tradition. Photo from Old Settlers Days Whitley County.
COLUMBIA CITY — The 121st annual Old Settlers Days festival will return to Columbia City beginning Friday, June 13.
The festival opens with a skating party hosted by Hill Top Tavern from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Happy Valley Rink, 625 W. Old Trail Road.
On Saturday, June 14, the Shrine Antique Power Club will host a tractor drive through town, beginning at 10 a.m. on North Whitley Street.
The midway opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, followed by the official opening ceremony at 8 p.m. The ceremony will feature a performance by the Whitley County branch of the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir.
Live entertainment will be featured each night of the festival, beginning at 8 p.m. Performers include:
- The Bulldogs — Tuesday, June 17.
- Star 69 — Wednesday, June 18
- The Band Cheyenne — Thursday, June 19.
- Wallen Road Band — Friday, June 20.
- Whoa, Man — Saturday, June 21.
The closing act, Whoa, Man, is a tribute to the women of rock, with a seven-piece ensemble featuring four alternating female lead vocalists. Their set spans six decades and includes music from Pat Benatar, Heart, Carole King, Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks, Gwen Stefani, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Tina Turner and the Bangles.
The final night of the festival will also feature the American Legion Post No. 98 Parade, which travels along Main Street from North Street to Ellsworth Street.
A popular feature of the event is the annual balloon glow on the lawn of the Whitley County Courthouse, scheduled for 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, weather permitting. An alternate date is set for the following night.
At 7:30 p.m. on June 19, festival organizers will honor the community’s oldest, youngest and longest continuous residents on the south side of Courthouse Square. The awards, part of the festival’s earliest traditions, were expanded last year to include the youngest settler. Last year’s honorees included Gerald Grable, 101, as oldest settler; Matthew Henney, 98, as longest continuous resident; and Oliver Whetstone, 5, as youngest settler.
Registration for the awards is required between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, at the Whitley County Historical Museum, 108 W. Jefferson St. The youngest settler must be under 18 and able to sign their name.
The museum, located in the former home of Indiana governor and 28th U.S. vice president Thomas Riley Marshall, will feature exhibits on pioneer families and festival memorabilia. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The first Old Settlers Days celebration was held as a picnic at Loon Lake on Saturday, Sept. 17, 1904. The event moved to Columbia City the following year and has continued to grow ever since. Proceeds from the festival benefit local causes, with the Old Settlers Association reporting an estimated $500,000 returned to the community over the years.
A full schedule of events, including registration for the pickleball tournament on Friday and Saturday June 20–21, is available at
oldsettlers.net
. Old Settlers Days will enter Columbia City on Friday, June 13. It will begin with a skating party hosted by Hill Top Tavern at the Happy Valley Rink 6-9:30 p.m., 625 W. Old Trail Road.
