RHODES — When the summer months arrive, Marshall County residents know annual festival entertainment and activity can be found almost every weekend, such as Rhodes Pride Days beginning on Friday.

The Rhodes Engagement Committee (REC) is responsible for organizing the annual festival.

“Back in 2023, our committee came together to bring Rhodes Pride Days back to life,” said President Madelyn Pitzen. “We’ve had ups and downs but we have always been able to come together with help from many members of the community to problem-solve and pull off Rhodes Pride Days.”

She said the 2026 event has plenty of new features and activities – the REC breakfast burrito fundraiser, Rhodes pop-up museum, a local artists display, a ping-pong tournament, pepper tournament and bingo.

“Each year we change, we have new ideas and have curveballs thrown our way,” she said. “For instance, this year, we have received a lot of rain and will be unable to use the Heart of Iowa trail for our Hoy Bridge trail rides. However, thanks to generous community members, this is the first year we will have a hay rack of our own to haul people. So instead, we will have ‘The Roads of Rhodes’ and we will take people around town to various event locations like the new Rhodes pop up museum.”

In a town of roughly 270 residents, Pitzen is expecting 500 people to attend Rhodes Pride. One reason for the draw is the Rhodes Ball Association, which collaborates with REC, slow-pitch softball tournament.

“There were a solid few years that Rhodes Pride Days activities and committee had fizzled out, but softball carried on,” she said.

Some additional Rhodes Pride events which are community favorites include the kiddie parade and grand parades, vendor market and Saturday night street dance with local DJ Randy Rosenbalm of Americas Music to go. While the overall event budget varies from year to year, each individual event submits budgets to REC Treasurer Christopher Buck.

“We absolutely could not pull off Rhodes Pride Days or the other fun events that we love without our amazing community that jumps in to lend a hand whenever we call on them,” Pitzen said.

RHODES PRIDE DAYS 2026 SCHEDULE

The annual Rhodes Pride Days starts Friday with:

Food trucks on Main Street, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.;

Bags registration at Rhodes Bar, 5 p.m. with tournament at 6 p.m.;

Softball tournament at the ball park, 6 p.m.;

Kiddie parade decorating at the Methodist church, 6:30 p.m. with the parade at 7:30 p.m.;

Little Miss and Mister Coronation, 7:45 p.m.;

Movie in the park at dusk.

The Saturday events are:

Breakfast burritos at Memorial Park, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.;

5K check-in, 7 a.m. at the Heart of Iowa trailhead with the start at 7:30 a.m.;

Softball, 8 a.m.;

Bloody Mary bar at Rhodes Bar, 9 a.m.;

Market in the Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.;

Grand parade line-up at 9:15 a.m. with the beginning at 10 a.m.;

Food trucks, 10 a.m. to midnight;

Starting at 11 a.m., the activities include a car show, Rhodes pop-up museum, the Kids Fun Zone, local artists display and kiddie tractor pull;

Scavenger hunt from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.;

Ping-pong tournament, 1:30 p.m.;

At 2 p.m., there will be water balloon fights and the pepper tournament;

REC raffle, 7:30 p.m. People do not need to be present to win;

Midnight street dance on Main Street, 8:30 p.m.

Rhodes Pride Days will conclude Sunday with:

Pop-up museum, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.;

Church in the park, 10 a.m.;

Community potluck, 11:30 a.m. People are invited to bring a side dish, dessert or drink;

Bingo at Rhodes Bar, 1 p.m.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.