McDonald’s 77th homecoming has parade, rides, run

Special to The Vindicator

McDONALD

The 77th annual McDonald Homecoming will be Wednesday through Saturday on the village green across from the municipal building, 451 Ohio Ave., sponsored by the McDonald Fire Department Social Organization.

The parade will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday on Ohio Avenue, and rides and concessions will be from 6 to 11 p.m. The Performing Arts Dance Studio will perform after the parade on the basketball courts.

Bingo will be from 7:15 to 11 p.m.

The parade will be preceded at 5:45 p.m. by the ninth annual Run of The Mill, a one-mile foot race downhill to the McDonald Steel mill through the center of the village on Ohio Avenue.

Entry fee for the race is $10 for preregistration and $12 the day of the race. Entries should be mailed to: McDonald Track and Cross Country, 616 Washington Blvd., McDonald, Ohio, 44437.

Proceeds from the race benefit the McDonald boys’ and girls’ cross country teams.

The race will start at Holiday Hot Tubs on the corner of Marshall Road and Ohio Avenue and proceed straight down Ohio Avenue to finish at the gate of McDonald Steel.

Overall winners, both male and female, will be awarded $100; runner-up male and female will receive $50. Applications are available at the municipal building before the race.

Age groups for the race are: 12 and under; 13-15; 16-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; and 50 and over.

Events for Thursday are: Wristband Night, ride all night — wristbands can be purchased on the festival grounds; rides and concessions from 6 to 11 p.m. and bingo from 7 to 11 p.m.

Friday events are rides and concessions, 6 to 11 p.m. and bingo, 7 to 11 p.m.

Activities on Saturday will start with games at 10 a.m. at the south end of the tennis courts for children up to age 15.

Games are: candy and penny scramble, ages 0-4; whipped-cream races, ages 5-6; shoe scramble, ages 7-8; paper-plate race, ages 9-10; watermelon-eating contest, ages 11-12; water balloon toss, ages 13-14 and egg toss, ages 15 and over; and parent and child egg toss.

Immediately after the games, free ice cream will be provided by the Fire Department Social Organization.

The winner of the John Pete Checker Tournament will be announced at the pancake breakfast, which will be Saturday morning for village residents only.

Other Saturday activities: rides and concessions from 6 to 11 p.m., bingo from 7 to 11 p.m. and fireworks at 11 p.m.

No pets or bicycles are permitted on the festival grounds.