Hey, if anyone planning a trip to the Root Valley for the weekend of May 16 and 17, I'd recommend that you pay a visit to the Trout Days festival in Preston. They have a parade on Saturday afternoon, superior grilled chicken and a well stocked beer tent. Of course, fishing contests for the festival's namesake are part of the attraction. IIRC, the contests are divided into adult and kids categories, so it could be a fun trip with the family. I'm not really an advocate of competitive fishing, but this kind of contest is nothing like the awful pro bass things that they hold on the Mississippi.

If you make the trip, stick around Saturday evening. I'll be up on the hill above town, setting up the fireworks display with the guys from the Preston FD. You can see the display from just about everywhere in town, unless you happen to park yourself behind a tree or a building. Looking forward to dinner at the Ranch House...

Man, sounds like a great time. If I find myself in that neck of the woods I'll be stopping by for sure. ~andy

Andy, if you get down to Preston on Saturday, it would be great to get a chnace to meet you. I'll be up on the hill just south of town on County Road 17. Go up the steep hill, and turn into the first farm driveway to the left at the top. If you follow the field road past the horse barn to the left of the farmhouse, I'll be out there. Just ask for Mark from J&M Displays. We usually get done setting up about 4:00 or so, and I get a few hours to eat and relax before we fire.

I have to admit that I have a grudge against Preston ever since the deli in town wouldn't let me weigh my record Golden Redhorse on their scale. However, I suppose I shouldn't base my opinion on an entire town on a strict grocer who was probably not even a fisherman. He could have been having a bad day or something. And, I do LOVE the festivities that folks from that corner of the state throw. I've been to more than a few keg-tapping, porchop-grillin barn-dancin shindigs around Houston and Hokah, and every one was an absolute blast. Like I said, if I am anywhere near Preston that day I will make it for sure. ~andy

Andy, if you get down to Preston on Saturday, it would be great to get a chnace to meet you. I'll be up on the hill just south of town on County Road 17. Go up the steep hill, and turn into the first farm driveway to the left at the top. If you follow the field road past the horse barn to the left of the farmhouse, I'll be out there. Just ask for Mark from J&M Displays. We usually get done setting up about 4:00 or so, and I get a few hours to eat and relax before we fire.

Good to know there's a fellow pyrotechnic enthusiast on this site. We mostly make Fire crackers here but my mom's boyfriend used to put on a 4th of July display in-between rockdell and Byron.

I've spent the last 15 years designing and shooting displays for one of the larger companies in the Midwest. Being in the profession has probably killed off the enthusiast in me, but I still can't imagine doing anything else. Anything over near Byron probably used fireworks that came from our company. Ask him if he knows Jim from Mantorville.

I agree about the festivals down in this neck of the woods. My favorite has to be Nordic Fest in Decorah IA. The main street in town is full of vendors selling food items, including Norwegian pastries. A few years back, there was even a crawfish stand.

Saturday night, they have the "torchlight parade", for which the festival organizers hand out road flares to the crowd (mostly slightly drunk kids from Luther College). Everyone lights their flare and marches through downtown Decorah to the baseball field, where they all chuck them into a huge pile of pallets.
During the conflagration, the crowd stands in a circle and sings "Kumbayah", with ad libbed verses. Some of the ad libs are definitely R rated.

When the singing is over, the fireworks begin.

The Upper Iowa around and in Decorah has lots of nice smallies, too. Not too many smallmouth streams down here, and surprisingly,it doesn't really seem to be fished that much.