The Verona Cattail Festival - the evolution of a good time
Posted Jul 29, 2010 By Craig Bakay
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Tweet ThisEMC Events Most small communities have a summer festival of some sort, be it a fair, a music festival, or an homage to a particular farm product.
Verona's offering has proven to be unique among summer gatherings.
From the time the parade kicks off Friday night to the prize draws and closing remarks late Sunday afternoon, the entire hamlet seems dedicated enjoying itself.
And a move to a new venue this year isn't likely to change the mood the festival brings.
It's somewhat difficult to describe exactly what it is that makes the Verona summer festival unique but words like whimsical and frolicsome, respite and recreation, mirth, joviality and jocularity come to mind.
You see a lot of people smiling there.
Often, over its 15-year run, the festival has chosen themes such as Pirates, Clowning Around, Hats Off and Hollywood North and it seems festival goers embrace the idea.
In the past everyone from May West to Blackbeard to Emmett Kelly to Gandalf the Wizard has been seen gracing the parade and stages or merely wandering about. And Heaven only knows what will be seen this year, as the gathering becomes officially known as The Verona Cattail Festival.
Other than the name, the costumes and the fact that much of the activity moves up the Lions Club grounds from McMullen Park, not much else is expected to change and this is a good thing.
The Red Green Duct Tape Boats Races (one of the first such regattas in the world) will still be at McMullen Beach. And speaking of duct tape boats, does anyone remember the year somebody bet Frank York he couldn't build a cardboard and duct tape boat that would hold 25 people?
Frank's not one to back down from a challenge and the next thing you know, the SS Gonnagodown was in the bay with a slew of passengers on board.
The only problem was, the dang thing wouldn't sink.
Who can forget Peter Platenius in a white ice cream suit, Col. Saunders facial hair and cigar, clutching his mint julep in one hand and his white hat with the other while swaying back and forth trying to keep his balance as Miss Piggy (Inie Platenius?) jumped up and down.
See, it turns out Frank built the boat with whiskey boxes, you know, the kind with dividers that make air pockets and insulate the rest of the sections from water damage.
Eventually, the good ship did go down, after almost a half hour of coaxing. Conspiracy theorists still claim they had to whack a hole in the thing to get it to sink.
Anyways, that's the kind of thing that goes on the first weekend after the long weekend in August in Verona.
Oh, there'll be lots of other things going on too, lots of food, games and stuff for the kids, arts & crafts vendors, a soap box derby, mini-golf, antique engines, wagon and train rides and whatever else they can muster up.
And by the way, the music's usually pretty good too, with lots of variety (country, kids, blues, bluegrass, rock, reggae, schmaltz, you name it). Look for local recording artists Downtown Traces to make its debut performance as the featured act on Saturday night.
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