Broiler-Dairy Days returns to traditional schedule
Stipe Shows Carnival began setting up in Arcadia’s Memorial Park earlier this week in preparation for Broiler-Dairy Days hosted by the Arcadia Lions Club this weekend. The carnival returns to Arcadia for the first time since 2019 as the annual celebration was cancelled in 2020 and abbreviated in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
After hosting an abbreviated Broiler-Dairy Days celebration last year, the Arcadia Lions Club is hosting the event with a more traditional format this weekend.
The citywide celebration will happen over three days this year — after a two-day festival last year and the cancellation of the event all together in 2020, both due to COVID-19 restrictions. Also returning for the first time since 2019 is the carnival, which opens Friday at 6 p.m.
Set up in Arcadia’s Memorial Park, all you can ride wristbands will be offered until 10 p.m. on Friday, noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
But that is only a part of what is returning to Arcadia this weekend.
The grand parade will return to Sunday after being held on Saturday last year. It will begin at 1:30 p.m. going down Main St.
As in past years, the celebration kicks off with Happy Hour in the Arcadia Lions Pavilion from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday with music by Silver Edition from 5 to 7 p.m. Kaiged Acoustics will play from 8 p.m. to midnight. Attendees will be able to “meet the festmasters” from 6 to 7 p.m. that night.
There will also be plenty of entertainment. Divided Highway plays in the pavilion from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday before Corey Wise and His Nashville Band hits the stage from 9 p.m. to midnight. Latino bands will play from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday.
The soccer, basketball and slow-pitch softball tournaments all begin on Friday and will run throughout the weekend. As will the high school rodeo, which starts at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday. The rodeo will be held across from Arcadia High School, on the east side. A volleyball tournament will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday and a bean bag tournament starts at 11 the same day. Bingo will be played from 2 to 4 p.m. in the pavilion.
The carnival won’t be the only event for area children. The “kiddie” parade returns at 11 a.m., but will be held in Memorial Park, near Golden Plump Road. The talent show will be held at noon in the pavilion.
A car and farm tractor show begins at 8:30 on Saturday, the motorcycle poker run with Ashley’s Angels leaves at 11 a.m.
Of course, there will also be chicken. What is billed as the world’s largest chicken pit, opens at 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. A food truck will be open near the pavilion from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday.
