Carleton community set to host 60th Milo Days
(By Jonathan Jensen for the Carleton Community Club)
The Community Club of Carleton will sponsor its 60th annual Milo Days festival on Saturday, Sept. 10, with the theme of “Zero to Sixty.” Events include longstanding traditions like milo pancakes, a parade, milo exhibit, milo baking contest, Milo Queen contest, horse show, and teen dance. The demolition derby, successfully added last year, will be continued and a new feature will be a truck show for two-ton and above vehicles.
The parade is widely recognized for featuring area high school bands in one of their first school-year outings. The parade begins at 6 p.m. with the route going from Milo Park to the Community Hall and spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Line-up takes place at Zion Lutheran church just east of the water tower beginning at 5 p.m. Parade entries also include Milo Queen contestants and Little Milo Princesses, along with Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen 2011, and truck show participants.
Last year’s Milo Queen contest provided a unique highlight with the presence of the then reigning Miss Nebraska Teresa Scanlan, who is now the reigning Miss America. Her internet blog at http://teresastravelsandtidbits.blogspot.com/2010/09/milo-days.html is a personal reflection for those who search for Milo Days on Google. “It’s the towns and communities like Carleton that remind me why I loved growing up in Nebraska, why I love being from a small town, and why I just love being a Nebraskan,” writes Scanlan among her comments with some accompanying photographs.
Contacts with the reigning Miss Nebraska 2011 Karla Batt revealed that she was not available for the Milo Days celebration due to her sister’s upcoming wedding; however, Brooke Ludemann, Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen 2011 will be at the celebration.
Ludemann shares the http://www.missnebraska.org/ website main page spotlight with Miss Nebraska. As was the case with Scanlan last year, Ludemann will participate actively in the entire pageant with interaction with both queen and Little Milo Princess participants, as well as speaking at the review stand and appearing in the parade.
New to the lineup of events this year will be a truck show in place of recent-year tractor and car shows. Two-ton and above vehicles will display some of the creativity and pride that area rig owners have invested in their trucks.
Sunday morning there will be a community worship service which commemorates the 10th anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001, which are deeply embedded in the memories of Americans who witnessed them as they unfolded. The observances take place at the Community Hall beginning at 10:30 a.m. Local pastor the Rev. Jonathan Jensen of Carleton’s Zion Lutheran church will preside.
Flyers, posters, and advertisements may be consulted for details of times and locations for these and a number of other events contributing to the 2011 Milo Days celebration.
