Saturday will be a big day for Bonner Springs, with Marble Day and a Tractor Cruise planned.
The annual event starts with a pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Victory Assembly of God, 121 Allcutt, Bonner Springs.
Then the Tractor Cruise gets underway, starting at 8:45 a.m. at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State.
The Wacky Parade then starts at 9:30 a.m. at the top of Oak Street in Bonner Springs and the tractors will join in.
After the parade, opening ceremonies will be held at 10:15 a.m. at Centennial Park in Bonner Springs. Many of the day’s activities will be at Centennial Park.
From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be marble activities and old-fashioned games at the Centennial Park.
A marble tournament begins at the park at 10:30 a.m. at a permanent marble ring located there.
At 10:30 a.m., a bike rodeo will be held at Centennial Park.
From 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. will be a puppet show at Oak and 2nd. From 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. will be ventriloquism and magic show.
The Running of the Pinkys will take place at noon.
At 12:30 p.m. will be an egg toss extravaganza on Oak Street.
At 12:45 p.m., winners will be announced.
At 1 p.m., a cakewalk is scheduled, but this year, the prizes may be muffins instead of cake.
A repeat of the puppet show will be from 1 to 1:45 p.m., and the ventriloquism and magic show will be repeated from 1:15 to 1:30 p.m.
Don Hrabik, who is on the committee for the Tractor Cruise, said this year’s event route has changed a little because it is on the same day that there is a race at the Kansas Speedway.
Instead of heading north to Wyandotte County Lake, this year the 36-mile route will head west to Tonganoxie, he said. He added that they were advised to change the route by the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, and it will avoid traffic problems.
After leaving from the Ag Hall in Bonner Springs, the Tractor Cruise will go through the Marble Days Parade in Bonner Springs, then on K-32 to stop at Elm Grove Baptist Church for a break. Then the tractors will continue to Tonganoxie, Kan., to the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds for a ham and bean lunch, he said.
After that, it’s back to Bonner Springs to the Nuts and Bolts Hardware store around 3 p.m. The Tractor Cruise then will return to the Ag Hall around 4:30 p.m., where there will be a barbecue dinner for all the drivers and their guests, he said.
Hrabik said he expects about 60 tractors to participate in this year’s Tractor Cruise, and this event is a benefit for the Ag Hall. Each driver pays a $35 fee to enter the event and then tries to raise $200 each.
More information about Marble Day is on the Moon Marble Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MoonMarbleCompany/.
