T-R FILE PHOTO The West Marshall High School Color Guard and Marching Band performed during the Rose Festival Parade in State Center last June. The annual festival returns to town this weekend with a host of events beginning Thursday.

STATE CENTER — Iowa’s Rose Festival is returning to State Center this weekend for its 65th installation with a host of family friendly fun on the horizon. Buffi Honeck, the chair of the Rose Festival Committee, has shared a few helpful tips for those who plan to attend.

Road Closures: Note the map prepared by the SCPD regarding what roads will be closed and when and plan accordingly. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding for any inconvenience these few days of the festival!

BYOB to Rock the Rose Garden on Friday night. The Rose Garden will be filled with live music and dancing before and after the Grand Fireworks show. From 8:00 p.m. until Midnight, local favorite Grand Marshall will be providing epic entertainment to a packed garden. You can BYOB of any type, just be prepared to show ID and get a wristband for all legal-age drinkers.

Want to play along? Attendees can enter many of the fun competitions that will be held. Some require advance registration but many you can show up the day of. Some options include:

Kids Glow Run Thursday, June 15 at 8 p.m.: Get the kids out downtown after the Rose Queen Pageant for a fun glow run around downtown State Center decked out in glow necklaces and bracelets. Enjoy a sweet treat from the Rose Creamery afterwards!

Friday night fun for kids! Out in front of the Rose Creamery, the Iowa National Guard rock climbing wall and police simulator will be featured, plus a marshmallow roast and kids games for the tweens and teens to enjoy.

Co-Ed Slow pitch softball Saturday, June 17: Contact Dan Eckhardt through the Facebook page @Iowa’s Rose Festival.

Bags Tourney Saturday in front of Road Hog’s Bar: Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. with play beginning at 12:30 p.m. — $25/team.

Kiddie Tractor Pull Saturday: Sponsored by Full Moon Lodge, registration begins at 12:30 p.m. with pulls beginning at 1:00 p.m. (on Main Street north of the Gutekunst Public Library).

Bingo Saturday: Grab a chair anytime between noon and 2:30 p.m. in front of the fire station to take a shot at winning the per-game pot.

Lip Sync and Calling Contests (chicken, mom, rooster, donkey) Saturday: Beginning at 6 p.m. with registration starting at 5:30 p.m. down on the stage at the Rose Garden.

State Center Fire Department water fights Sunday — a longtime tradition. Registration begins at 10 a.m. with kids, women’s, and men’s fights before watching the local FD take on each other. There will be food vendors onsite.

Main Street Market vendors can submit an inquiry at www.statecenterrosefestival.org/craft-and-market-exhibitors for more information. The market is Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and costs $20 for a spot.

Anyone interested in volunteering can email statecenterrosefestival@gmail.com. The full schedule is available at www.statecenterrosefestival.org or the Iowa’s Rose Festival Facebook page.

Honeck is excited to see the streets of State Center fill up with people over the next several days, and she offered some reflections on how times have changed even as the Rose Festival has continued for over six decades.

“Whether you’re a past or current resident, grew up here or have only lived here a short time, or maybe just passing through, the 2023 Rose Festival Committee is excited to bring you 4 days of fun and family entertainment. As chair of this year’s Rose Festival, I welcome you to year number 65 of this cherished small-town Iowa festival. \Sixty-five — amazing! Think about that in the passage of time and how things have grown and changed. Gone are the times where the cars were classic, the prices were much lower, and newspapers were your only source of knowledge. Now everyone has their own phones, the pace is much faster, and the internet has opened us up to an overwhelming amount of instantaneous knowledge,” she said. “In those 65 years, despite all of the changes in the world around us, the community — the people — of State Center have made continuing this festival a priority and ensuring each year it continues to thrive and be a destination for so many. There are not a lot of towns in our state who can say this, and for that we should all be proud — proud that our citizens, generation after generation, volunteer their time, donate their hard-earned money, and dedicate countless hours to make the Rose Festival what it is. A place for people to feel like they are coming home to, reuniting with old classmates, seeing family, and bringing their own children here to enjoy the full schedule of events.”

The spirit of the Rose Festival continues in its 65th year, a weekend packed full of everything from the crowning of the Rose Queen to an ever-expanding car show to games for those of all ages to be involved in. Businesses participate, organizations volunteer their time, and citizens will come together to just have fun.

It’s summer in Iowa, and there’s nothing better than seeing crowds lining the streets to take in the Grand Parade, crowds of people in the streets carrying everything from pizza slices and BBQ to swirled ice cream and pork sandwiches, and, of course, celebrating the community’s beautiful roses, the reason for the gathering each year.

Whether it be during the coronation of the 65th Rose Queen while enjoying live music from Grand Marshall, making funny animal sounds, seeing a one-act play, watching an evening movie, attending the community church service, or picking the prime fireworks viewing spot, the Rose Garden is the place to be over the course of the weekend. The 2023 caretakers, Jon and Shelley Lechnir, along with Carolyn Stanley and Karen Garrison, have done an amazing job this spring ensuring the garden looks beautiful, and the weather has been perfect to ensure the roses are in full bloom!

Don’t be afraid to stop and smell the roses, take in the fun, and make another year’s worth of memories at this year’s Rose Festival.

“From me to all of you, I welcome each and everyone to the 65th Annual Rose Festival June 15-18 and hope you all enjoy every moment!,” Honeck said.