39th annual Funday and Possum Festival Aug. 2

A full day of bluegrass, country and gospel music will be presented Saturday, Aug. 2, at Wausau Possum Palace where the 39th annual Funday and Possum Festival will be held.

Providing entertainment will be Royal City of Dothan, Ala., Swiftwater of Altha, Heritage Quartet of Chipley, Cottondale and Altha,  and Johnna Kay Pierce of Westville.

Saturday’s events begin with a pancake breakfast sponsored by Wausau Masonic Lodge. It will be held at the lodge in downtown Wausau from 6-9 a.m. Pancakes, sausage and coffee can be enjoyed for a $4 donation.

The 5K run/walk known as the Possum Trot, and the one-mile fun run/walk will begin at 7:30 a.m. For more information, call 850-773-2030.
Invocation and welcome will take place at the Possum Palace at 9 a.m. Then, everyone will move to Highway 77 where the big parade through downtown Wausau will begin at 10 a.m. There’s no registration needed for participation in the parade. “Just be there,” says Margaret Riley, who will answer questions for those calling 850-638-1781.

Back at the Possum Palace, and more importantly, out of the hot sun, members of Boy Scout Troop #39 will conduct a flag-raising ceremony. It will be followed by the “world famous” possum auction when guests have a chance to own one of the fiesty little creatures or even just touch one.  Politicians, who will probably be featured as special speakers, usually bid on the caged mean-looking marsupials.

Hog callin’ for the kids, as well as rooster crowing and cow lowing competitions will be featured next.

Horse shoe pitching will be available all day. Also available will be arts and crafts booths which set up at noon on Friday and remain in place through Saturday afternoon. Nice unusual gift items can be found at these booths, along with good food. For more information or setting up a booth, call 850-260-5740 or 850-638-1781.

Beauty, and not so pretty, pageants took place just before Funday and the winners will be featured in the parade and perhaps the children’s competitions. The Possum King & Queen ride in the parade and spend time at the Possum Palace talking with visitors.

The annual Funday Festival is always held the first Saturday in August. Sponsors are the Tourist Development Council of Washington County, Wausau Volunteer Fire Department, Wausau Development Club and the Town of Wausau.

The Possum Palace is located just off Highway 77 in downtown Wausau. It’s 10 miles south of the I-10 exit in Chipley. There’ll be lots of signs – you won’t miss it.