T-R FILE PHOTO A woman pulled a train full of kids behind her during the Mousehole Days parade in Melbourne last August, and the kids waved at the spectators as they passed. The festival, along with Union’s Tar Heel Days celebration, returns this weekend.

AREA — Along with the annual Mid-Iowa Antique Power Association show on the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office property and Clutier Fun Day in Tama County, two other festivals are set for this weekend and will offer residents a plethora of options for small town fun.

In Marshall County, Melbourne’s Mousehole Days will be in full swing Friday and Saturday. It all starts Friday with events like the kids pedal pull on Main Street at 6 p.m., a softball tournament at 7 and the crowning of Miss and Mr. Mousehole at 7:30 before the Monkey Shine Parade at 8. The Melbourne Pub’s bags tournament begins at 8:30, and local rockers JJ Ace are set to play at the Rec Center from 8 to midnight.

Saturday’s festivities kick off with the Mason breakfast at 7, the 5K run at 7:30 a.m. and the softball tournament at 8. The grand parade begins at 10:30, and the car show will start at 11. There will be various games and activities for kids throughout the day before the “Splash Dance” from 6 to 8 p.m., a RuggedPro Wrestling show uptown from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and another local favorite band, Exit 185, playing the street dance from 8 to midnight.

Just up the road in southern Hardin County, Union’s annual Tar Heel Days celebration will also be happening Friday through Sunday, kicking off with the 16th annual Buster Nyce Memorial Youth Golf Tournament honoring the longtime resident starting at 10 a.m. There will also be a two-person adult “Elbow Up” best shot tournament beginning at 5 p.m. at the South Hardin Rec Area (SHRA). A community dinner will run from 5 to 8 p.m., and the band Catfish Murphy will play from approximately 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. A movie on the history of Union will be shown at dusk, and a fireworks show will start after the movie.

Saturday is packed full of activities starting with the breakfast at the fire station at 7 a.m. and the 5K run/walk beginning at 7:45 a.m., with the grand parade kicking off at 11 a.m. followed by the presentation of the grand marshal and Ms. Union-Whitten at noon along with Quilts of Valor, Union history and heritage with Bob Johnson and a car and tractor show on Center Street.

The annual Tar Heel auction starts at 12:30, followed by bingo and the kids tractor pull at 1:30 and the water fights and BBQ contest awards at 5 p.m. DJ Birdy Young will provide the tunes at the SHRA clubhouse from 7 to 11 p.m., and a night golf tournament will begin at dusk.

A community church service will be held at city park Sunday morning beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Full schedules for both festivals can be found at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077425453594 and https://www.facebook.com/tarheeldays.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.