Kewanee Hog Days 2023 is less than 75 days away, and if carnival tickets are already on your mind, you’re in luck.
The tickets will be delivered to most of the Kewanee banking institutions and well as the Kewanee Chamber of Commerce office on Tuesday, June 27. Even though some things have been hit by inflation, hog days pre-sale carnival tickets isn’t one of them, said Hog Days Committee Co-Chair Larry Flannery.
The tickets will remain the same price as in the past several years, he said. A sheet of 12 tickets will cost $10. Once the festival opens, tickets will be sold in a sheet of 20 for $20 and individual tickets will sell for $1.25.
Although the public has occasionally inquired about using wristbands for the event, Flannery said the tickets, rather than wristbands, just make more sense. The carnival is in operation for the equivalent of three business days; all day Saturday and Sunday but only for half the day onFriday and half the day on Monday. That would mean that wristbands could only be offered for part of those days, and if there is bad weather on the chosen day or the crowds are heavy, there is a real possibility of not getting on rides during the time allotted for the bands. Carnival tickets are good anytime the carnival is in operation throughout the weekend, he said.
But the main reason that the committee remains steadfast to the pre-sale tickets versus the wristbands is purely a financial one, he admits. Approximately $30,000 of tickets are made available to the general public and all of that money made off those tickets goes directly to the Kewanee Hog Days. Those funds are used to help defray the cost of the barbecue, parade and entertainment, as well as built-in expenses such as power and water bills, insurance and purchased supplies.
According to festival committee members, it costs over $100,000 to put on Kewanee’s end of summer event. To forgo the pre-sale tickets would mean substantial increases in registration fees and sandwich prices. Kewanee Hog Days is strictly a volunteer operation, said Flannery. There is no payroll from the officers on through to the people who cook and serve up the pork chops. The only individuals who earn income from Hog Days are outside contractors who are hired to move heavy equipment or haul away trash, said Flannery.
Kewanee Hog Days is scheduled for Labor Day weekend. For more news and information, check out The Hog Herald.
