FRIDAY, JUNE 30

All Day
ANTIQUE TRACTOR & ENGINE SHOW
The Daugherty Companies, 534 E. 1st St.

7:30 a.m.
SAMUEL JONES BREAKFAST
Knight Bergman Center, 132 N. Nancy St.

4:00 p.m.
HOMETOWN BAKING CONTEST JUDGING
Kim’s Katered Affair, 115 N. Wayne St.
Winner announced after parade

It’s the golden anniversary of Warren’s Salamonie Summer Festival, and the 2017 theme is “A Golden Celebration – 50 Years of Festival Memories.”

This year’s celebration is on tap to be bigger, badder, better, booming, bolder and more bodacious than previous years, with entertainment, games, a huge fireworks display and a wide array of events expected to draw lots of spectators and participants.

Huntington County communities will celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks and more.

In Huntington, the fireworks display will go up on Saturday, July 1, at dusk. The pyrotechnics are shot off from an area behind Huntington North High School.

In Warren, the fireworks display is part of the 50th anniversary Salamonie Summer Festival and will take place on Monday, July 3, at dusk at Tower Park. A balloon launch and a country concert by Aaron Watson will take place at Tower Park prior to the fireworks.

The 29th annual Samuel Jones Breakfast, the kick-off for the Salamonie Summer Festival in Warren, will be held on Friday, June 30, at 7:30 a.m. at the Knight Bergman Center, in Warren.

During the breakfast, this year’s Samuel Jones Pioneer Award will be presented to a person or persons who exemplifies the spirit of the Warren area community through volunteerism, support and dedication.

Discount tickets are available in advance at East of Chicago, Bippus State Bank, iAB financial bank and the Warren Town Hall, all in Warren.

Patriotic music and the reflections of a woman who adopted the United States as her home will be the highlights of an “Old Fashioned Fourth of July” celebration on Tuesday, July 4, at the Historic Forks of the Wabash.

The program begins at 9:30 a.m. with a concert by the Erie Band and the presentation of flags by local veterans.

The speaker is Rosemarie Felts, of Lagro, who grew up in Germany during World War II. She will discuss coming to the United States after the war, experiencing a new culture, learning a new language and learning about freedom.

After a break of several years, rodeo returns to the Salamonie Summer Festival as the Big Hat Rodeo will run Saturday, July 1, starting at 7 p.m., and Sunday, July 2, starting at 3:30 p.m., at the Knight Bergman Center grounds, in Warren.

Seven events will be contested, with professionals among those vying for prize money and points from the Midstates Rodeo Association.

Events will be bull riding, barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, tie down roping and team roping.

The 2017 Huntington Heritage Days Parade winners have been announced.

The winners and award sponsors are:

• Best Theme Float – First Federal Savings Bank, sponsored by Capozza Appraisals.

• Best Religious Unit – Huntington Catholic School, sponsored by Edward Jones financial advisor Chuck Harris.

• Best Classic Vehicle – Mizpah Vettes, sponsored by Moose Lodge 837.

• Best Youth Group – Parkview Boys & Girls Club of Huntington County, sponsored by The Huntington County TAB.

Warren Health and Fitness is sponsoring five events as part of its W.A.R. Games for the Salamonie Summer Festival next week.

The Warren Area Rumble consists of a basketball tourney, bike ride, cornhole tournament, a walk/run and a mud run. All are rain or shine events.

The Rebel 3-3 Basketball Tournament returns for its 15th year on Saturday, July 1, with registration starting at 8 a.m. and tip-off starting at 9, at the Knight Bergman Center, 132 Nancy St., Warren.

Awards are given to the top three teams in each bracket.

Kathryn Pearson (right) serves up a couple of crab cakes to Jackie Lindsey, of Huntington at the Brick House Grill booth during JeFFFest held Sunday evening, June 18, on Jefferson Street downtown. Hundreds of people sampled food from numerous vendors, listened to jazz from the Eric Clancy group and bid on artworks on the final night of the Heritage Days festival.

Judge Mike Carlson (left) evaluates Delaney Wall’s pony during the 4-H Pony Halter class at the Open Pleasure Show, held at Chief LaFontaine Saddle Club on Sunday, June 18, as part of Heritage Days. Photo by Steve Clark.

Levi (left) and Colton Young (right), along with their father, Tim, toss ping pong balls while competing in a Poor Jack Amusements game at Huntington Heritage Days on Saturday, June 17.

Ruth Reed (center) leads a group of "ballerinas" in a performance at Vaudeveille at the Forks, a fund-raiser for the Forks of the Wabash, put on during Heritage Days on Saturday, June 17.

Dev Dailey (left) rides a pony with some assistance from his father, Brady Dailey (middle), and handler Rose Wall in the Hoosier Camel Encounter ring at the Kids Fun Zone area of Huntington Heritage Days on Saturday, June 17.

Joe Crafton (foreground) competes in the deadlift portion of the Heritage Days Strength Challenge, with Joe Schultz (background) observing, on Saturday, June 17, in the parking lot of the former Huntington County Courthouse Annex Building.

Dana Shealey competes in the deadlift portion of the Heritage Days Strength Challenge on Saturday, June 17, in the parking lot of the former Huntington County Courthouse Annex Building.

During the Huntington Heritage Days Parade on Saturday, June 17, Wess (left) and Peggy Bard recreate the kiss shared by a U.S. Navy sailor and nurse from the famed “V-J Day in Times Square” photograph taken in 1945 in New York City’s Times Square. The theme for Heritage Days was "The '40s: Liberty, Democracy, Dignity."

Satin Lemon strikes a pose as Rosie the Riveter aboard the First Federal Savings Bank float in the Huntington Heritage Days Parade on Saturday, June 17. The float was honored with the best theme float accolade.

Youths in character as G.I. Joe and Captain America each strike a pose aboard the Boys and Girls Club of Huntington County float in the Huntington Heritage Days Parade on Saturday, June 17. The float was voted best youth group float.

Grand Marshal Leo Scheer (foreground) waves to attendees of the Huntington Heritage Days Parade as the parade route turns onto Park Drive on Saturday, June 17.

A group of runners race down Park Drive during the Huntington Heritage Days 5K Run on Saturday, June 17.

Ronda (left) and Dale Hawkins take stock of an entry in the Heritage Days Car, Truck and Bike Show on Friday, June 16, in downtown Huntington.

Marda Hoffman (left) smiles as Steve Pfister tops off her strawberry shortcake with whipped cream at the Huntington Rotary Club’s Strawberry Feed in iAB Financial Bank Heritage Hall on Thursday, June 15.

Marcy Strange (left) enjoys a Poor Jack Amusements ride with her grandson, Hayze Morris, at Huntington Heritage Days on Thursday, June 15.

Nora McDaniel (left), 8, of Warren, and Brookelynn Buzzard, 10, of Huntington are the 2017 Little Miss and Junior Miss Heritage Days, respectively. They were crowned from a field of 48 contestants Wednesday, June 15, at Crestview Middle School during the Heritage Days Festival’s annual pageant.

Homer Hiner walked to the podium, offered a five-word thank you, and walked back to his seat.

That’s about what you’d expect from Huntington’s newest Chief of the Flint Springs Tribe.

Hiner has always been a behind-the-scenes guy, 2016 Chief Mike Perkins said as he announced the tribe’s 49th chief during the Heritage Days kick-off breakfast on Thursday, June 15.

But, Perkins added, “You get things done.”

“Thank you, everybody,” Hiner said. “Thank you.”

Veteran country music artist Aaron Watson will be the headline attraction at the K105 Concert at Tower Park in Warren on July 3, preceding what has been billed as the largest fireworks display in Salamonie Summer Festival history as the festival hails its 50th year in 2017.

Watson, a 17-year veteran, had a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Albums Chart in 2015 when his album, “The Underdog,” became the first for an independent male performer to debut at the top spot.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

5:00 to 10:00 p.m.
POOR JACK AMUSEMENTS - Cherry Street and city parking lot. Amusement rides and games for the entire family. Height restrictions on some rides.

7:00 p.m.
LITTLE MISS/JUNIOR MISS HERITAGE DAYS PAGEANT - Crestview Middle School. Girls ages 5 to 12 are judged on poise, modeling and personality.

This year’s 54th annual Heritage Days will be packed full of new things to do and see throughout the festival, June 14 through 18.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “The ’40s: Liberty, Democracy, Dignity,” the festival has announced that World War II veteran Leo Scheer will be the grand marshal of the 2017 Heritage Days Parade.

Eric Clancy Jazz will return to perform at this year’s JeFFFest, to be held Sunday, June 18, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Jefferson Street in downtown Huntington.

Clancy has performed at all but the first JeFFFest in 2008. Vocalist Shannon Persinger will join the group to perform for the crowd’s listening and even dancing enjoyment.

Elvis Presley impersonator Gordy Clemens performs at the 13th annual Huntington County Senior Expo on Thursday afternoon, May 18, at the Merillat Complex Fieldhouse at Huntington University.