Collinsville spices up Horsradish Festival with new events
You can put down roots — and pick them up, toss them, race them, grind them, sack them and eat them — at the 28th annual International Horseradish Festival Friday through Sunday in Collinsville.
Since 1988, Collinsville has celebrated the favorite-son condiment (approximately 60 percent of the world’s horseradish is produced in the Collinsville area) with fun contests, music, food, children’s activities, craft vendors and the Little Miss Horseradish Festival Pageant.
Two new events will spice up this year’s festival: the Collinsville Sunrise Kiwanis Fishing Derby from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday and the Bark for Life, a non-competitive event for dogs and their owners from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.
The fishing derby is for children between 5 and 14 years old. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the lake in Woodland Park. All participants will receive a one-day pass to Splash City, a hotdog and a soda. Winners in age categories will get prizes.
Bark for Life will raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society. The event starts with a walk and includes demonstrations, contests, games and a costume contest at noon. Register your dog between 10 and 10:30 or at www.relayforlife.org/barkcollinsvilleil
Don’t forget the food. More than 10 vendors must offer at least one item that includes horseradish. Options range from Mongolian horseradish barbecue to horseradish wings, corndogs, fried pickles and funnel cakes.
Horseradish Festival Schedule
When: 6-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Woodland Park, Collinsville.
Admission and parking: Free
Shuttle service: Madison County Transit District will provide shuttles from lfrom the Dorris Intermediate School parking lot at Camelot and Illinois 159 to Woodland Park.
Friday
6 p.m. Opening ceremonies, root grinding demonstration
6-10 p.m. Children’s area, craft village, hot air balloon rides
6:30-10 p.m. Music by Cold Shot (classic rock); root grinding demonstration during band break
Saturday
9:30-11 a.m. Collinsville Sunrise Kiwanis fishing derby (registration at 8 a.m.)
10 a.m.-10 p.m. craft village open
10 a.m.-noon Bark for Life
11 a.m.-9 p.m. Children’s area
11:30 a.m. Root grinding demonstation
Noon-4 p.m. Music by Harvest Drive (country)
1 p.m. Washer tournament
2 p.m. Root Derby
2:45 p.m. Root Sacking contest
2-4 p.m. Root Toss and Root Golf
4-6 p.m. Music by Robert Naughton (acoustic)
5:30 p.m. Root grinding demonstration
6-10 p.m. Music by Midnight Rail
Sunday
8 a.m. 5K Run/Walk
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Craft village
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Children’s area
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Music by Sunset Amusement (acoustic, oldies and rock)
Noon Bloody Mary contest
12:45 p.m. Farmers root sacking contest
1 p.m. Bags tounament, Horseradish Recipe Contest
2-4 p.m. Root Toss and Root Golf
2:30 p.m. Root grinding demonstration
2:45 p.m. Farmers root sacking contest
3-6 p.m. Music by Party Band (variety and popular rock)
4 p.m. Little Miss Horseradish Festival pageant
This story was originally published June 3, 2015 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Collinsville spices up Horsradish Festival with new events."