Prairie Days pushed to Labor Day weekend

Like many summer events in the area, Prairie Days in Prairie City is being postponed due to pandemic concerns. Typically the last weekend in July, the annual celebration weekend features kids rides, musical entertainment, fun competitions and parade, bringing the community together for three days of fun.

"We want to celebrate with all our citizens but want to be able to do it safe," organizer and councilwoman Christy Lindsay said.

Planning for Prairie Days starts months earlier with details finalized at the end of February and beginning on March. At about that time, COVID-19 concerns started to spread throughout the country and organizers paid close attention on how it could effect the weekend.

Originally Prairie City Old Settlers, Prairie Days has been a staple of the community for decades. Lindsay said she didn't know if it had ever been canceled or postponed for anything more than rain since it started.

With many unknowns still out there, the Prairie City Celebration Committee decided delaying the weekend to a possible celebration Labor Day weekend was the way to go.

"Labor Day weekend may look at little different and we don’t know what it will hold," Lindsay said. "We want the kids to get back to school safely and our citizens to be well enough to enjoy the summer."

Lindsay isn't sure what the weekend will look like with gatherings and event changing daily due to the pandemic. She hopes to have a band, activities and inflatables to make the delayed celebration as close to the original as possible.

With a few months in between now and Labor Day, organizers will continue to monitor the pandemic with potential summer events in the works, if allowed.

"If things start to look better, we may hire a band or book a movie for a weekend evening this summer — who knows," Lindsay said. "Right now, we are just going a day at a time and hope that next year we will be back in full swing. Hang in there people, while we are being cautious,  we are hopeful for the future."

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com