Abby Festival rolls out this weekend
Abby Festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekend with three days of family-friendly fun centered around Abbotsford’s downtown.
Festivities will get started on Friday with the opening of carnival rides by Spectrum Entertainment, from 6-10 p.m., on First Street. The downtown will also be lined with various food vendors selling various ethnic foods.
A band from Chippewa Falls, 30 Minutes Difference, will perform a variety of rock, county and pop songs from 8 p.m to midnight in front of Abbotsford City Hall.
Carnival rides will reopen again at noon on Saturday and run until 4 p.m., before restarting at 6 p.m. and running until 10 p.m. The rides will also be open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Saturday will also feature a craft sale on First Street from 2 to 8 p.m. Vendors are still needed; those interested are asked to call Trisha at 715-316-2452.
Elsewhere in Abbotsford, a five-on-five basketball tournament will be held at Red Arrow Park on Saturday. Team captains will meet at 8 a.m., with games beginning at 9 a.m. at the court on the corner of Butternut and Fifth Avenue. To register a team, text Diana at 715-316-8915 or send an email to abbyfestivalwisconsin@ gmail.com. There is a $25 per person entry fee, with cash prizes and trophies awarded to the first and secondplace teams.
The Abby Merchants baseball team will also be playing two games at Red Arrow Park, one on Friday versus Rhinelander and a second on Saturday versus Dorchester. Both games start at 7 p.m.
Saturday’s live music will include performances by Grupo KN ZAVOR of Green Bay, La Victoria Nortena of Waunakee, Grupo Sonador from Mexico and DJ Mega Fiesta, with tunes playing from 6:30 p.m. until midnight. The bands will play a variety of Latin American musical styles, including bachata, cumbia, merengue, salsa and norteno.
The crowning of the Abby Festival Royal winner will be held Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on the downtown Abbotsford band stage. Contestants have been selling raffle tickets since April, and people can still buy tickets to help support their favorite contestant.
Sunday will kick off with the Abbotsford FFA Alumni Dairy Breakfast at DeJong Dairy. See page nine for more details.
The day continues with a parade at 1:30 p.m. Floats will start lining up at noon at the corner of South First Street and Spruce Street west of Cliff’s Service. For more information, call Maria at 715-574-1787 or send an email to abbyfestivalwisconsin@gmail.com.
A co-ed soccer tournament will be held Sunday at the city’s soccer fields on North Fourth Avenue, with games starting at 8 a.m. Each team will consist of seven players, with competition split into four age categories: four and five year olds, seven to 10 year olds, 11 to 15 year olds, and those 16 years of age or older. To register a team, text Diana at 715-316-8915 or send an email to abbyfestivalwisconsin@ gmail.com.
Raffle tickets will be on sale throughout the weekend, with the drawing for the winners to be had at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 2.
Abby Festival has introduced a new logo this year, one chosen from a contest held last year.
“The new Abby Festival logo represents unity and inclusivity, showing how different cultures come together as one community,” said event organizer Diana Sosa. “It reflects the festival’s welcoming spirit, reminding everyone that they belong. Through its design, the logo celebrates diversity and the power of togetherness.”
LAST YEAR’S ROYALTY - Last year’s Abby Fest Royal Contest winners got the royal treatment as they went through the parade. From left to right are: Frida Aguilera Zavala, Gianna Aguilera Zavala, Marisol Rodela and Jazlyn Moreno. This year’s Abby Festival Royalty winner will be crowned on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in downtown Abbotsford.
TP ARCHIVE PHOTO
