Laurel County Homecoming kicks off Friday; Summer Fest Carnival opened Tuesday

Aug. 18—A full range of activities will be hosted at Levi Jackson Park this weekend as the 86th annual Laurel County Homecoming kicks off on Friday evening and continues through Sunday.

This year's Homecoming festivities hosts a new event that started on Tuesday evening — the Summer Fest carnival at the London-Laurel County Fairgrounds. Carnival rides, games, food and a petting zoo are among the attractions for this first-time event that coincides with the annual Homecoming festivities.

Tickets are $15 per person and include all aspects of the carnival, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Laurel County Homecoming. Gates open at 6 p.m. nightly and runs through Saturday, Aug. 21.

The traditional Homecoming events kick off on Friday evening with musical entertainment beginning at 6 p.m. at the stage area in the Levi Jackson campground area. Featured performers will offer a variety of musical genre ranging from McKane, Three Years Apart and Hot Brown Smackdown. Food trucks will be available for food, drinks and desserts beginning at 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Saturday packs a day-long series of events, beginning with a 5K run at 8 a.m. in the park. The annual Homecoming parade will wind through downtown London at 10 a.m., featuring the Teen and Miss pageant contestants in their costumes reflecting this year's theme — "Dancing in the Moonlight" — which defines the origin of the Homecoming which was established to be commemorated by the full moon of August, traditionally in the third week of the month.

After the downtown parade the festivities return to the park with Vendor Village opening at 10 a.m. and featuring arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing and a variety of handmade items to fit any taste and style. Vendor Village will remain open until 10 p.m. Saturday while festivities take place at the park. A corn hole tournament is set from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., while the annual Pet Parade will take place at the amphitheater stage at noon. Animals of all species, costumed or not, will strut their stuff for prizes during this annual event.

The Doxie Dog Race at 1 p.m. pits Dachshunds in a race to the finish line to display their running skills. That will be staged by Shelter House #2 in the park. Yappy Hour highlights the pets of the community from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bark in the Park area and offers treats to visitors.

The Shelter House #2 area will also host the Kids Power Wheel Race that provides impromptu driving skills to the county's youngest population. Bring your Power Wheels vehicle out with your children to experience some fun-filled family laughs and competition that brings a large crowd each year. The Power Wheels competition is sponsored by Craig Boone with London Dragway.

The late afternoon and evening activities also include family fun events, with the Hillview Mobile Petting Zoo setup from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Levi Jackson Train Ride also provides visitors with a scenic tour of the historic park that is part of the trail of Daniel Boone as he made his trek from Cumberland Gap to establish Fort Boonesboro in the 1770s.

The evening showcases Laurel County's up-and-coming with the Little Miss and Mister pageant beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the amphitheater stage. Children from newborn to age 12 have pre-registered for the pageant and will display their best for prizes in this competition.

The Youth Spotlight highlights the talent of local groups who will display their singing and performing talents on stage beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by the Teen and Miss Pageant at 8 p.m.

Four teens from 13 to 16 will compete for the title of 2021 Laurel County Homecoming Teen with an interview and competition in theme wear and evening wear. The four contestants for this year's title of Miss Laurel County Homecoming will also be putting their best foot forward in evening wear, theme wear and interview portion that showcases their poise and self confidence.

Since the print publishing of The Sentinel-Echo, the first-ever "Praise in the Park" event, sponsored by Freedom Christian Fellowship Church at the amphitheater stage set for Sunday, was cancelled due to COVID.