Newell to get wet and wild with second annual Fun Day
Hancock County Commissioners join in the water parade during the inaugural Newell Fun Day. (Submitted photo)
Newell Community Improvement Coalition members Michelle Keller, Tina Quintin and Lori Butcher ride in the bed of a bed of balloon-decorated pickup truck during the inaugural Newell Fun Day water parade. (Submitted photo)
Competitors vie for supremacy in cornhole during the inaugural Newell Fun Day. (Submitted photo)
Competitors vie for supremacy in cornhole during the inaugural Newell Fun Day. (Submitted photo)
Hancock County Commissioners join in the water parade during the inaugural Newell Fun Day. (Submitted photo)
Newell Community Improvement Coalition members Michelle Keller, Tina Quintin and Lori Butcher ride in the bed of a bed of balloon-decorated pickup truck during the inaugural Newell Fun Day water parade. (Submitted photo)
Competitors vie for supremacy in cornhole during the inaugural Newell Fun Day. (Submitted photo)
Competitors vie for supremacy in cornhole during the inaugural Newell Fun Day. (Submitted photo)
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NEWELL -- With its freshman year under its belt, no one would dispute that the unincorporated community of Newell made a splash in 2023 with its Fun Day.
Sponsored by the Newell Community Improvement Coalition (CIC) and Newell Volunteer Fire Department, enthusiasm about the unique wet and wild event, which is set to be held on Saturday, Aug. 3, continue to grow.
According to coalition spokeswoman Heather Culig, the bulk of the day's activities begin at 11 a.m. the Newell Community Center (also known as the Wells Building), which is located at 813 Washington St. in downtown Newell.
In addition to a fire truck bounce house-slide combo unit and dunk tank, which has been introduced in year two, revelers also can partake of the various food trucks as well as browse pets on hand from the Hancock County Animal Shelter, which will have animals on site.
The coalition has plenty of activities slated at 11 a.m. In addition to a dedication of the recent renovated Newell Community Center, a Touch-a-Truck event and a recently added Knockout Basketball tournament will round out the morning.
Up to eight participants per round each pay $1 to test his/her free throw shooting skills against the other competitors. Each winning shooter in the round wins the purse for that round.
No registration is needed to participate in Knockout.
At noon, the highly competitive cornhole tournament returns for year two. The registration fee is $20 per team for the cornhole tournament with the winners splitting a cash prize.
Activities continue through 3 p.m., when participants start lining up for the popular Water Parade, which starts an hour later.
Culig said that the coalition will have squirt guns available for sale at a booth in front of the community center. Not a typical parade, the coalition encourages participants to gather friends and family along Washington Street between Third and Ninth streets, where they are armed with water weapons to shoot at the parade floats as they douse revelers with their own water weapons.
Up to 10 of this year's winning float, as determined by a trio of parade judges, will be selected to receive individual one-year passes from Frank Six for the Wayne Six (formerly Newell) Toll Bridge.
Due to the parade's extreme popularity last year, the number of floats was capped at 50 this year, so prompt registration was crucial to locking in your spot.
Like in 2023, the CIC once will be selling water guns at their information booth in front of the community center, just in case attendees forgot to bring their own.
Attendees who had preordered Fun Day T-shirts can also pick up those shirts the day of the event at the CIC booth until 3:30 p.m. Shirts were to have been preordered by July 21.
Water barrels will line the parade route for people to refill their weapons of choice during the wet portion of the parade.
For safety reasons, water balloons are prohibited, Culig explained.
Live music courtesy of Kent Cox will wrap up the day's activities at 6 p.m. near Hancock County Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.
Parking for the event is in Clarke Field across from the Newell Community Center.
For more information about the coalition or its Newell Fun Day event, visit its Facebook page (Newell Community Improvement Coalition) or its website at www.newellcoalition.org.