Annual Events - inspire community magazine
As with longstanding community traditions, annual events become interwoven into their respective towns and cities, and the Greater Centralia Area has many to speak of.
Several annual events are hosted in surrounding communities at their respective parks, like Wamac Fest in Wamac City Park, the Firemen’s Picnic in Odin, German-themed Hofbraufest in Hoyleton, and Irvington Homecoming event every summer.
In Centralia’s Laura Leake Park, Centralia Juneteenth is held on the weekend near June 19 and continues to see expansion with each new installment.
Centralia’s Fairview Park is home to annual celebrations both new and old, as it serves as the setting of the time-honored Centralia American Legion July 4th Celebration and newly formed Oktoberfest by 618 Express.
At nearby Raccoon Lake, the National Boat Racing Association has powerboat races during the Castle Ridge Smoke on the Water Festival, where attendees can see fun on the water during the day and watch live entertainment at night.
Downtown Centralia is a prolific location for seasonal and community-themed events that draw patrons, vendors, and entertainment from throughout the region and beyond.
There is the Locust Street Historic Fair in the spring, then in the summer there are vendor events and Crooked Creek Winery Downtown Concert Series. Fall brings the Downtown Trick or Treat and the year is capped off with the Downtown Christmas Stroll, an event that brings droves of families to the heart of the city for holiday-themed activities.
The most profound and far-reaching of which is the Centralia Balloon Fest. Nearing its 40th anniversary, Balloon Fest is the third full weekend in August and draws up to 40,000 people. Held in Foundation Park and hosted by The Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce, the event features hot air balloon flights, evening balloon glows, live entertainment, food and craft vendors, children’s activities, and much more. Balloon Fest remains the flagship event of the Centralia area!