Bee Ridiculous Day returns to downtown Saturday

The annual Bee Ridiculous Day celebrates downtown Marshalltown with events that will span Third Avenue to Second Street along Main Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Sponsored by the Marshalltown Central Business District, Bee Ridiculous Day returns for the fourth year in a row.

“The event was big in the 80s, then in the early 2000s it dropped off. We brought it back in 2021,” said Deb Millizer, who serves as executive director of the MCBD. “It’s part of our history, part of our memories, part of our connections to our community. I think it’s important we hold these events because they bind people together.”

It will feature kids’ activities, food trucks, a farmers and vendor market, first responders activity block and special deals with participating restaurants and retailers.

“Main Street will be blocked off. We will start closing the roads at 8 a.m. I just want the public to know they can’t drive down Main at that time and we ask they refrain from parking on Main,” said Events Promotions Chair Alushia Fitzgerald. “We’d like to keep everyone safe during the event because people set up out in the street.”

The kids’ activity block will include yard games, a bubble machine, Chalk Walk, face painting, bounce houses, water games and more, sponsored by various businesses. The Central Iowa Art Association will have a booth, plus Pilgrim Heights and MICA. The Animal Rescue League will have adoptable animals. Tulip and Friends Balloon Artist will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The First Responders Activity Block will have representatives from the Marshalltown police and fire departments, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Army National Guard (new this year), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and 911 Communications Department and the Elks Lodge with the Fire Safety House. The sheriff’s department will offer a sobriety collision course.

“I think it’s amazing for people to build relationships with our first responders in a setting where they’re not responding to an emergency,” Fitzgerald said. “Those sort of settings are always stressful, and I think the community sometimes forgets that people that work in these agencies are normal people too.”

Food trucks will include: Appleberry Farms Apple Wagon, Big Acai, Karam’s Grill, Maria’s Taco, Scigs Snack Shack and Totally Rolled Ice Cream.

Those participating in the market include local businesses selling flowers, signs, chimes, dried goods, candles, crafts, jewelry, crystals and stones, quilts, toys, baked goods and more.

“We like holding the event this time of year because it allows us enough time in between to plan for our next big events,” Fitzgerald said.

Anyone interested in signing up to be a vendor should reach out to Brittany Tow.

For more information, and to view a complete list of participating businesses, visit: www.marshalltownmainstreet.org/beeridiculousday.

Millizer said the MCBD has additional projects and events people should have on their radar.

The 2024 MCBD Flower Basket Campaign has been going for 20 years thanks to dedicated volunteers who care for the flowers and plants that adorn the downtown, plus financial contributions.

“We have an Adopt a Berm program where businesses take care of them all summer,” she added.

Lazy Try-Athlon is a new fundraiser that will kick off at 11 a.m. August 23. It will feature “lazy and low-key challenges that will test your skills and make you laugh,” and include shooting, bowling and golfing.

“We’re looking for sponsors and participants for that,” she said. “You can sign up on eventbrite. Proceeds go to support initiatives of the downtown.”

The Food Truck Park at the Cartwright Pavilion is new this year.

“We try to have three food trucks just about every Sunday,” she said. “Sometimes it’s two because of the busy season for food trucks. That’s been going fairly well, steady traffic, people coming down after church to enjoy it. We have some yard games and things going on there too.”

For updates, visit the MCBD on Facebook.