PHOTOS: Crowds take advantage of perfect spring day at Merriam’s Turkey Creek Festival
Contestants wrap up the second round of the Turkey Creek Festival pie-eating contest. In the 13+ age division, Alex Warran (left) and Jason Huntington claimed victory. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.
The annual Turkey Creek Festival is a favorite attraction among Johnson County residents- especially those with young children.
During the festival, Antioch Park comes alive with live music, art and food vendors, and activities hosted by local organizations.
The festivities this Saturday ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., stretching through a sunny May afternoon.
After walking through a line of interactive fire trucks and police vehicles, attendees were greeted by an assortment of food trucks selling treats such as lemonade, fresh corn and Italian sausages.
Creek Chic Arts and Crafts Market, an area first added to the festival last year, branched off from the main path. There, local craft vendors sold a variety of clothing and handcrafted merchandise.
Fan favorite activities made a return this year. Children had the opportunity to learn about dinosaurs through a “Baby Dinosaur encounter,” and they also had a chance to play with bubbles at the “Bubbleologist Party.”
The annual pie-eating contest crowned three winners this year. In the ages 6-12 category, 9-year-old Benny took the competition home — though last year’s winner, Ryan Cummins, also made a return.
Benny said that he wasn’t looking for victory from the contest, he was just “glad there weren’t two pies”, which assuaged his fear of getting a stomachache.
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In the ages 13+ category, Jason Huntington and Alex Warran tied for first place. Huntington won the contest last year, too.
“I came back for more,” he said.
Throughout the festival, three local bands graced the main stage. The Supermatics opened the event, followed by Barton Street Band and Saucy Jack closed out the day.
Here are more of the Post’s images from the day:
Teagan Lamm receives a tiger balloon from balloon artist Todd Lagessi. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.The musical act Barton Street Band performs for festival-goers. They closed their set with a rendition of “Hey Jude” by The Beatles. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Ambry, age 8, has a flower painted onto her cheek at Sister Act Entertainment’s face painting booth. Lines for the booth were long, but those who waited left with a smile and a fun design. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Last year’s reigning pie-eating contest champion in the ages 6-12 division, Ryan Cummins returns for a rematch, but 9-year-old Benny ended up taking the win. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Ardyn (right), a 3 1/2-year-old, breaks a board at Aplomb Martial Arts’s booth. Representatives from Aplomb hoped to get kids excited about learning martial arts techniques. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Emma Crawford watches as her father Wes Crawford touches a model T. Rex’s sharp teeth. Dinosaur Take Over used large and small props to engage kids in hands-on learning about dinosaurs. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Six-year-old Lincoln and 9-year-old Savannah take turns feeding a sheep at the petting zoo. The petting zoo also housed a donkey and two small goats. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Melissa Schumann helps Amelia Swanger and Beckett Schumann fish with the rods and bait provided by local organization Cops n’ Bobbers. Cops n’ Bobbers offers educational events and tournaments for youth in Johnson County to improve their fishing skills. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Milo takes a turn in the drum circle provided by local musical educational group Drum Safari. His father, EJ, said that the festival helped them discover just how much Milo likes music and dancing and that they plan on buying him a drum to play at home. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Food vendors offer both savory meals and sweet treats to keep attendees refreshed on a summer day. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.The Bubbleologist Party draws large crowds eager to chase and pop soapy bubbles. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.
Evelyn (right) plays a round of whack-a-mole with a little help from her father. Many fair events were sponsored by local companies and organizations. The whack-a-mole game was sponsored by Renewal by Anderson. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.Jason D’Vaude performs his circus act for a captive audience as bubbles drift in from nearby. Photo credit Julian Schnittker.
Julia Schnittker is a freelance photographer who graduated from Shawnee Mission South High School and now attends George Washington University. More of her work can be found here.
