Kinley Jones, 2020 Pierceton Days Tiny Queen, waves to the crowd. InkFreeNews photos by Liz Shepherd.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

PIERCETON — Amidst cloudy skies and the occasional raindrops, hundreds attended activities during the annual Pierceton Days Festival, held on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1.

The two-day festival included a lot of fun for families, such as live bands, bounce houses, a stand-up comedian and a vintage motorcycle show. This year’s theme for Pierceton Days was “The Roaring 20’s…Then and Now.”

A parade was also held during the festivities. The parade started at 3 p.m. and made its way through the middle of town on SR 13. Entries in the parade included firetrucks and police cars, tractors and school bands. A couple of participants in the parade followed the festival theme, creating floats with 1920s aspects and dressing in time-appropriate garb.

More than a dozen vendors were set up in Brower Park, selling items like food, jewelry and clothing. Bounce houses were set up in the park for children to play on.

The weekend festivities will conclude with a firework show at 10 p.m.

This year’s event was hosted by the Pierceton Chamber of Commerce.

Several local shops were also open in town, with the Whitko Art Museum and Galleries holding its grand opening on Aug. 1. The art gallery, located at 130 N. First St., Pierceton, features artists from Whitley and Kosciusko Counties. The gallery and sales are open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The building is also home to the Arts-Artists-Galleries-Education-Studios (A.A.G.E.S.) Fine Arts Center. Workshops, studios and classes are held at the center.

Adult open studios, life studies and instruction are held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. All ages classes, including ceramics and other choice media centers, are held from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.