Warrenton will host the Fall Festival on Saturday, Sept 21 and while there are plenty of attractions and activities that will remain the same there will be some changes. The event is scheduled to run on Main Street in Warrenton from noon to 9:30 p.m.

One of the only significant changes to the Fall Festival this year will be the removal of the car show. In previous years the car show had been an attraction for enthusiasts and other attendees alike, but organizers have had difficulties finding judges for the event. 

“Last year we actually had our judge not show up, and put us in a real bind,” said Warrenton Director of Operations Jon Struckhoff. “We had 100 and something cars there looking to be judged and we had no judge.”

He said judges had been an issue in previous years as well but after the incident at last year’s festival they decided it was not going to work. 

“It’s just hard to find people that want to do that stuff anymore,” said Struckhoff. 

There will still be plenty of other activities outside of the car show available to attendees, including a variety of musical acts. 

The East Stage, which will be located at Main Street and Thurman, will have performances from Butchwax and the Hollywoods from noon to 3 p.m. and Russo & Co. starting at 4:30 p.m.

The headliner for this year is country band Lonestar, known for hits like “My Front Porch Looking In,” who will be performing on the main stage near City Hall starting at 7:30 p.m.

“We’ve had some pretty big name artists in the past, and Lonestar is right up with them,” said Struckhoff. 

Vendors will also be a big draw for attendees this year, the city has sold the vast majority of their 106 spots along Main Street which will be occupied by over 75 different vendors. 

There will also be a cornhole tournament hosted on Thurman Street that day. 

The Kids Korner will also have some additions from last year. 

This year from noon to 6 p.m. the Kids Korner will feature airbrush tattoos, balloon twisters and the balloon typhoon as well as strolling performers from 1-3 p.m.. There will also be inflatables for the kids to play on from noon to 5 p.m. and a circus performance from 3-5 p.m. 

The city is also taking steps to make the event easier to access as any cars parked on Booneslick Road from Morgan Street to Troy Road will need to be moved by 6 a.m. on Sept. 21. Any cars that are still parked at that time will be towed to the City Hall parking lot. 

To help with parking, the city will be providing shuttle services from Black Hawk Middle School using school buses every 10 to 15 minutes. 

“They’ll have two school buses running back and forth all day, shuttling people, so the best place to park is definitely going to be at Black Hawk Middle School,” said Struckhoff.
The city will also be offering the usual handicapped parking in their lot on Walton Street, with additional handicapped parking available on Oak Street.