‘Bee Ridiculous Day’ set for July 29

For a ridiculously good time, buzz over to downtown Marshalltown from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 29 for a day filled with live music, kids' games and activities, a car show and more. Various retailers will offer special sales and discounts to encourage shopping local, plus see all the completed renovations five years after the tornado.

Sponsored by the Marshalltown Central Business District, Bee Ridiculous Day returns for the third year in a row.

"The event was big in the 80s, then in the early 2000s it dropped off. We brought it back in 2021," said Deb Millizer, who serves as executive director of the MCBD.

Events promotions chair Alushia Fitzgerald and fellow volunteers began planning for this event back in January.

"The premise was for retailers to have all these crazy deals and people would dress up in costumes, with the streets blocked off," Fitzgerald said. "We morphed it into a block party/retail event in the downtown."

Main Street will be blocked off from Third Avenue to Second Street.

The Kids' Activity Block will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature:

• Yard Games, sponsored by The Iowa Girl Scouts

• Minute to Win It Games, sponsored by Scout BSA-Boys Troup 308

• Children's Duck Fishing Game and Dunk Tank, sponsored by McGregors Furniture

• Live DJ from CzechMix Entertainment

• Farm equipment displays from Central Iowa Farm Store

• Emerson Women's Impact Network STEM helicopter activity booth

• Face Painting, sponsored by mosaic church

• Marshall County Master Gardeners - IA State Extension Office hosting gardening-related activities and experiments

• Marshalltown Public Library MOBI and pop-up book sale

• Yoga in the Lot with Hillary Powell​

• Animal Rescue League booth of adoptable animals

• Rainbow Moon Tattoos (temporary glitter tattoos)

• Madison R, hairstylist offering hair tinsel

The First Responders' Activity Block will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature the Marshalltown Fire Department with its "water fountain" hooked up and running, plus Polaris® fire-fighting and rescue vehicle.

The Marshalltown Police Department will have its new K-9 unit, plus crayons and coloring books, pens and pencils and badges. Complete the Marshall County Sheriff's Department's obstacle course, which will give participants the opportunity to see how impaired you are when you've had too much to drink.

"The majority of the events going on in downtown are free for the community -- it's a way to remind people there are options for dining, shopping and activities, and it's a way to give back," Fitzgerald added.

The Farmers and Vendor Market will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature everything from produce, honey, sweet corn, painted rocks, crystals, jewelry, hand-crafted knives, wood carvings, gifts for pets, and more.

The beer garden will run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with live music in front of the courthouse. Los De La Villa and Comando Norteno will perform in the morning and early afternoon, with the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels taking the stage from 3 to 6 p.m.

The Spokes 'N Locs Car Club Show and Shine will show off a variety of vehicles from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. food trucks will be set up next to the courthouse, featuring the edible goodies of: Appleberry Farms -- Apple Wagon, Big Acai, Dave's Mini Donuts, El Pacifico, Marshall Co. Beef Producers, Maria's Tacos, Natural Grind, Sweet & Savory and Totally Rolled Ice Cream, plus downtown restaurants will be open for business.

Millizer said she wants people to remember Bee Ridiculous Day long after it's over.

"We're wanting people to have a good time and build memories. Have it be part of their tradition they look forward to every year," she said.

She added that these types of events increase a community's quality of life.

"Maybe it's a bit old-fashioned, but when you think about where you grew up, you think about the festivities you attended and it really attaches you to that community," she noted.

Fitzgerald said without volunteers and sponsors, the event could not take place.

"I would like to give a big thank you to the promotions committee and all of our volunteers -- all of the activities are either donated by a group, business or non-profit," she said.

Millizer said the goal of the MCBD is to continue to aid the downtown in economic recovery, support existing businesses, and draw new ones.

"We are not going to be able to recruit additional businesses unless our current businesses are strong and well supported -- get people through their doors," she noted.

The MCBD hosts a monthly Third Thursday event that encourages retailers to stay open later.

"We're still growing it, but we have a theme for every single month," she added. "August will be 'back to school," followed by 'tailgating' in September."

A Main Street Market Analysis study revealed people are interested in more food variety downtown, namely a food truck court, she said.

"We are working to see if we can make Mondays a food truck day in downtown Marshalltown," Millizer said. "A lot of our restaurants are closed on Mondays, but people still want to eat. It wouldn't be harming our brick and mortar restaurants. Maybe a great entrepreneurship will come out of that exposure."

For a complete list of Bee Ridiculous Day events, visit: www.marshalltownmainstreet.org/beeridiculousday.