Five things to do this weekend: By feather or feet, get a move on

This weekend get carried away by hummingbirds or good ol’ fashioned carnival rides. We advise filling up on fair food at the Troy and Smithton homecomings after you’ve had your fill of rides. If flying high isn’t your thing, you can take in tractors and trains while your feet are planted firmly on the ground.

Go home

Troy Homecoming promises fun for the whole family, starting with carnival rides, games and food, soda and beer at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Tri-Township Park. The Troy Homecoming Parade floats along Market and Wickliffe Streets into the park at 6 p.m. They’ll have live music and the Lions Club is running a raffle, which they’re calling “4K for K9.” The club promised $10,000 for a canine officer for the Troy Police Department, said Lion Don Hamilton, and has raised $6,000 so far. The raffle is for Cardinals and Grizzlies game packages.

Smithton’s Homecoming, complete with the “Famous Fish,” will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Turner Hall Grounds in Smithton. Parade starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, and the homecoming will also have a beer garden, children’s games and inflatables, raffles and a live entertainment.

Band of birders

Fun trivia fact: Around here, the ruby-throated hummingbird is king (and queen). Other types of hummingbirds exist in North America, but the Audubon Society says only the ruby-throated hummingbird hums around here.

From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Vernon Kleen — a licensed bird bander — will present even more about the tiny fluttering featherball before he goes to capture a few to place ID bands on them and then release them. The event is co-sponsored by the Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders and will be at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, Illinois 2, in Hartford. It’s free. There will be children’s activities inside too, if you want to get them away from catching birds.

Run to the light

Beacon Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving “those among us who have the least,” is having a fundraising fun run at 8 a.m. Saturday. The 5K blasts off at 8 a.m. at Belleville West High School at 4063 Frank Scott Parkway West. The kids get in on the act too with a 1-miler after the 5K starts.

But that’s when it gets silly. With all those limber athletes nice and warm from the run, Beacon Ministries will try to break the record for the largest limbo game in the metro-east. Runner or not, the limbo starts after the kids’ fun run amid face painting and a balloon artist.

Great tractors

The American Farm Heritage Museum again opens its doors for all manner of farm-related fun this weekend. From 8 a.m. ’til dark on Saturday and 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday, the museum at 1395 Museum Ave. in Greenville plays host to a tractorcade, parade, car show, crafts and more.

For the city slickers among us, there will be plowing demonstrations and threshing and baling. For everyone, there will be live music and plenty of dancing. Hill’s Fort and the Lil’ Red Barn will also be open. Admission is $7; children under 10 are free.

Great trains

Yes, if you have small children or a large-but-model-mad adult, you’ve been to the Great Train Expo before. It’s time to go again, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and ending at 4 p.m. both days.

The entire Belle-Clair Expo Center at 200 South Belt East in Belleville will be filled with model trains and all the bells and whistles that can be stuffed onto the tables. Organizers also promise hundreds of tables with model train merchandise and a large Lego setup. Call 630-608-4988 or go to www.greattrainshow.com for more information.

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 9:49 AM with the headline "Five things to do this weekend: By feather or feet, get a move on."