Page 16 Monticello Riverfest • Thursday, July 3, 2025 monticellotimes. com
Pioneer Park will play host to Family Fun Night Friday
When Riverfest kicks off Friday evening with Family Fun Night at Pioneer Park, it will be the ultimate family celebration.
From 5 to 8 p. m. on Friday, July 11, hundreds of families will venture to Pioneer Park, located at 9350 Fallon Ave., along School Boulevard across from Little Mountain Elementary School.
The annual Family Fun Night, held in one of Monticello’ s most beautiful parks, offers messy-but-delicious food, games, a petting zoo, classic cars, a pie-eating contest and more, making it a perfect way to start your Riverfest weekend.
One of the highlights is the annual pie-eating contest, which pits community members against each other in what might be the messiest event of the entire threeday Riverfest celebration.
This crowd favorite begins at 6 p. m., and winners will walk away with the traveling trophy and a powerful sense of accomplishment.
Another Family Fun Night staple is the classic car show, which attracts car enthusiasts from across the region. With classic, collector, custom and unique vehicles displayed on the park’ s west end, there will be plenty of hot wheels to admire. It’ s not just cars though, as there will be trucks, tractors, and motorcycles revving up as well.
For the little ones, the Home Depot Kids Building Clinic is returning to Riverfest again this year, letting youths be builders and creators. Each child can hone his or her carpentry skills, building a small wooden project to assemble and take home.
Other fun for the wee ones will include a free petting zoo full of cute furry friends, pony rides for purchase, bouncy houses and face painting. Kids can get a temporary tattoo, too.
There will also be a Kids Games play area set up on the west side of the Pioneer Park pavilion.
At 7 p. m, the Wright County
Sheriff’ s Department will display training and teamwork in their K-9 Demonstration Show.
Radio station KRWC-AM 1360 will be broadcasting live from Pioneer Park as part of the station’ s Roadshow, providing entertaining games and contests.
If all of that hoopla has made you hungry, you’ ll want to grab some extra napkins, as sloppy Joes and hot dogs are the traditional Riverfest fare served at the pavilion. For a sweet ending, snow cones and root beer floats will also be available for purchase.