By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — The first Southern Illinois Harvest Festival will be getting underway tomorrow, with a week-long list of events culminating with the parade day on Oct. 18.

“We’ve pushed the limits on what we could do in the six months we had to bring something really good into Mt. Vernon,” festival coordinator Derrick Quitsch said. “We had six months to pull this thing together and it’s a great opportunity to help the community .. and make a difference.”

Events have been planned to entertain and engage residents from young and old alike, Quitsch said.

“We believe unity is the way to go and we should have something for everybody,” Quitsch said. “We’ve had a really great response from the community on having something new.”

The inaugural year of the festival is dedicated to all veterans with a special tribute to World War II veterans.

“Now is the time to honor these men and women that kept America American,” Quitsch said.

Activities for the festival get underway at 8 a.m. Saturday with a Guitar Hero contest at the Granada Theatre. The Guitar Hero contest is for all ages, all skill levels of Guitar Hero III.

At 9 a.m., the Diabetes Walk begins at Veterans Park, and will continue until 11:30. The Fish with a Vet will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Miller Lake.

The Jaycees House of Horror — Black Thorn Asylum will be open for residents, and the Carefree Highway Band of Paducah, Ky., will be performing at the Granada Theatre at 7 p.m. The band is a professional bluegrass band known throughout the Midwest.

Sunday, a community-wide church service will be held with a gospel sing from 2 to 4 p.m., and a contemporary praise and worship service from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 13, there will be family activities at Marlow Pumpkin Patch.

Tuesday, the Senior Circle will have its fall festival at the Rolland Lewis Community Building from 5 to 7 p.m., and the Guns N Hoses basketball game will be at 7 p.m. at Casey Middle School. The game will be between area law enforcement — the “guns” — and area fire fighters — the “hoses.”

The Guns N Hoses get together again for a bowling tournament between the Mt. Vernon Police Department and the Mt. Vernon Fire Department at Nu Bowl Lanes at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Mt. Vernon Township High School Homecoming parade and game will be held on Friday.

Festival activities get into full swing on Saturday, Oct. 18, with the Experimental Aircraft Association Little Egypt Fly-In and Veterans Reunion at Mt. Vernon Outland Airport starting at 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. There will also be an antique tractor show at the airport at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Starting at 10 a.m., there are several activities to choose from with the Needle in a Haystack at the Register-News open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; a washers and horseshoes competition downtown at 10 a.m.; a hot dog eating contest on the square at noon, and the parade, which will start at 2 p.m.

The parade lineup will begin at noon at the high school, and Quitsch said there will be volunteers on hand to help entrants with the lineup. The parade route will be down Seventh Street to Main, then west to 10th Street, turning south and proceeding down to Newby and back to the high school.

After the parade, there will be a presentation for veterans at about 4 p.m. on the square.

A car show will be set up on North Ninth Street during the festival, and a motorcycle show on South Ninth Street. The Fall Fling dance, which is being sponsored by the Mission Possible Coalition will be held from 7 to 10:30 at the Rolland Lewis Community Building; and the Homecoming Dance will be held at Mt. Vernon Township High School.

Musical entertainment will also be available downtown, with Brittany Clarke performing from noon to 2 p.m.; Southern Pride from 4 to 5:30 p.m.; and the Page from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Quitsch said there are volunteers still needed for Saturday, and a volunteer organization meeting will be held Thursday, Oct. 16, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Granada Theatre.

“We still need volunteers,” Quitsch said. “If we don’t have extra volunteers on the 18th, it won’t run as smooth as we’d like, so we need some people to come help out.”

Anyone who would like information on how to help out during the festival or to be a sponsor for an event may contact Quitsch at 316-4723 or at silharvestfest@mvn.net.