T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS - Pioneer Days returned to Le Grand Saturday, and the parade didn’t fail to entertain the kids lined up to get their hands on some candy. Among the groups riding floats through town was the 1968 Le Grand-Dunbar-Ferguson class, whose district preceded the current East Marshall district.

LE GRAND – Temperatures across Marshall County finally started to feel like late August Saturday morning as Pioneer Days festival-goers got in place before the grand parade.

It was a festivity missing from the town of over 900 last summer, and visitors said they were happy to see the festival return this year.

“We’re going to go over to the car show,” said rural Le Grand resident Connie Patterson as she sat waiting for the parade to begin with her grandchildren and husband. “My son has got his metal work and stuff set up down there.”

For fellow rural Le Grand resident Mary Hass, it was “the K-9 dogs, the music and the parade and the car show” she and her family were excited to see.

“They have crafters at the (Le Grand) Community Building … they also have games for the kids, too, down there at the park,” she said. Hass said she was happy when she heard Pioneer Days would take place in 2018.

For Kerri Anderson, the festival was a great opportunity to get to know the area after she recently moved to Marshall County from Colorado.

“We’re going to try to enjoy as much as we can, we’re going to try to do a whole-day thing,” Anderson said. “It’s a big deal for smaller communities, and for us to get to know people.”

She said similar festivals took place in the smaller towns east of Denver and that she and her family hoped to make good connections with their neighbors during the event.

Saturday was jam-packed for Pioneer Days visitors. Along with the parade, a car and motorcycle show, a fundraiser breakfast, a 5k fun run and beer garden ensured visitors kept busy and had fun.

Several groups and organizations came to provide further entertainment, including the Cornflake Cloggers, Heart of Iowa Sweet Adelines, Blank Park Zoo, Kingdom Klowns and more. A dunk tank, bean bag tournament, face painting and bounce house were also set up.

The festival closed with a fireworks display at dusk Saturday.

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Contact Adam Sodders at (641) 753-6611 or asodders@timesrepublican.com