Published: August 06, 2008 10:15 am      

Festival celebrates famous journalist

DANA, Ind. — The Dana Volunteer Fire Department is an integral part of the Vermillion County community.

For the 56th year firefighters will put on a three-day festival that attracts visitors from both sides of the state line to the community near the Indiana-Illinois border.

The Ernie Pyle Firemen’s Festival has been the name for several years, attaching the famed World Ward II newspaper correspondent, Ernie Pyle, to the event.

The festival began as the Dana Fall Festival in the 1950s and originally was staged the weekend after Labor Day when farmers who were on the fire department had more time.

Later it was moved to late August and eventually to the weekend after Pyle’s birthday. Pyle was born south of Dana, and his boyhood home was moved to the south end of the business district in Dana.

“It takes more and more work,” said Bob Richardson, assistant fire chief and festival chairman. “Now firemen work different jobs. This takes time.”

The Dana fire department has 21 members, and depends on the women’s auxiliary and other community groups to make the festival a success.

“Several people in the community help us,” he said.

While the festival schedule remains about the same, Richardson said the celebrity auction returns Friday night after an absence of a couple years.

“We have started it up again,” Richardson said. “There will be tickets to Disney World and Colts and Packers memorabilia.”

Richardson said the free ham and beans is a draw on Thursday night, with the firemen’s auxiliary chicken and noodles dinner on Friday, and the fish fry and parade on Saturday.

“We have had as many as 220 entries in the parade,” said David Bishop, parade chairman. “Last year we had 90 to 95.”

The parade is at 6 p.m. EDT Saturday.

The South Vermillion and North Vermillion high school bands will be featured, along with old cars, decorated bicycles, politicians and other entries.

“Every group in town helps out (at the festival),” Bishop said. “The two 4-H groups take their turn working at the dinners, and the Boy Scouts have a booth. The Dana 49ers have a quilt on display and provide music on Saturday night.”

The festival has come a long way since its early beginnings in the 1950s.

“It’s mainly a tradition for our town,” Richardson said.

ERNIE PYLE FIREMAN’S FESTIVAL

THURSDAY

9 a.m. EDT: Ernie Pyle State Memorial Site opens.

4-8 p.m.: Free ham and bean dinner.

5:30 p.m.: Registration for baby contest and Little Miss and Little Mister contests.

6 p.m.: Baby Contest and Little Miss and Little Mister; rides open.

7:45 p.m.: Fireman King and Queen ceremony.

8 p.m.: Ernie Pyle Junior Princess and Princess contests.

9 p.m.: Ernie Pyle Queen Contest.

10 p.m.: Merchandise drawing.

FRIDAY

9 a.m.: Ernie Pyle State Memorial Site opens; flea markets open.

4-8 p. m.: Firemen Auxiliary chicken and noodles dinner, firehouse.

4 p.m.: Auto show registration.

6 p.m.: Pet parade; rides open.

6:30 p.m.: Cake walk.

7 p.m.; Celebrity auction; auto show.

8 p.m.: Cruise Brothers.

10 p.m.: Merchandise drawing.

SATURDAY

9 a.m.: Ernie Pyle State Memorial Site opens; flea markets open.

10 a.m.: Registration for poker run.

11 a.m.: Children’s games (up to 10 years old).

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Poker run.

Noon to 8 p.m.: Jonah fish fry sponsored by the fire department.

4 p.m.: Parade lineup at ball fields.

5:30 p.m.: National anthem and color guard.

6 p.m.: Parade.

7 p.m., Bicycle awards, n ext to Dana Auction House; cake walk.

8-10 p.m.: Sanders Sound Machine, sponsored by the Dana 49ers Club.

10 p.m.: Merchandise wagon and grand drawings.