52nd annual Hope Heritage Days starts Friday

Featuring more than 100 vendors offering everything from savory to sweet treats to arts and crafts, the 52nd Annual Hope Heritage Days begins at 5 p.m. Friday on the Hope Town Square.

This year will see the return of the Gospel Sing, featuring The Diplomats and Summit Trace beginning at 7 p.m. Friday in the Hauser High School gymnasium, sponsored by WYGS, says Michael Dean, CEO of Heritage of Hope, Inc.

The festival will also include some new events and attractions, Dean says.

Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Baptist Church, located on Jackson Street, will be a car show to remember. Not only will the area be filled with vintage Studebakers, but Jeff Studebaker, a descendant of the Studebaker family, will cruise in with a 1940s-era Studebaker, Dean says.

“Several members of the Indiana Studebaker Club will be making an appearance,” Dean says. “The Avanti Club is also coming to the show.”

In addition, the Indiana Historical Society will be on site with a semi trailer decked out with two slide outs equipped with interactive exhibits and videos, Dean says, and it will be staffed throughout the weekend.

If you are more of a horse-drawn vehicle type person, no worries because a group from Crawford County Indiana is taking part in the festivities and will offer something spectators won’t soon forget during Sunday’s parade at 2:30 p.m. Chuck Edge and his group are bringing a mule-driven covered wagon, but beyond the surface, there is more than meets the eye. 

“He steers the wagon while standing up on the mules,” Dean explains. “The whole parade, he will be standing on the rear ends of the mules. He’s a daredevil and this something people don’t want to miss.”

Heritage Days annual favorites, including the Dr. Hope Medicine Show, baking competition, horseshoe tournament and pioneer village, which is presented by the Yellow Trail Museum, will be offered all day and into the evening Saturday.

Hope resident Jake Miller says he is looking forward to watching his daughter, Kambri, run in the Heritage Classic Cross Country Meet at 9 a.m. Saturday.

“It is something I ran one time,” Miller says. “I always enjoyed watching my friends run it, but now it is more special because my daughter is running in it.”

Beginning Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. Five Lights will kick off the evening’s entertainment lineup, which also includes performances by Danny Anderson at 8 p.m. and Journey Tribute band E5C4P3 on the main stage at 8 p.m.

Fireworks, set off from behind the Yellow Trail Museum, will light up the Hope sky at 9:30 p.m. closing out Saturday festivities.

Festival attendees are invited to a 9 a.m. worship service offered at the bandstand Sunday morning.

When vendor booths open at 9 a.m. festivities will again be in full swing, including performances on the bandstand by John Wise at 12 p.m. and Rusty Bladen at 3:30 p.m., and the much anticipated Heritage Days Parade starting at 2:30 p.m.

A closing prayer, marking the end of the festival, will be offered at 5 p.m. at the bandstand.

Stephanie Shoaf says Heritage Days has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember and says it is the combination of good food and company that keeps her coming back.

The Hope resident will be volunteering at the HSJ Online booth, located in the shelter house, selling mums, she says.

Heritage Days is just a weekend to relax, enjoy great food and entertainment and, even more importantly, making connections with family and friends, she says.

“It is a big reunion for the town and we all look forward to it,” she says. “It is where everybody is at.”