The Columbus Day federal holiday is Monday, October 10th, but for several years, the City of Columbus Junction has had their own Columbus Day celebration the Saturday before. This year’s events kick off at 7 a.m. with the Lions Club Breakfast, followed at 8:30 a.m by the 5K run/walk at Chautauqua Park. Other events throughout the day include a car show, kid’s carnival, parade, and cultural celebration.

Community Development Center Director Mallory Smith believes it’s a good day for people to see the ethnic background of the city, which includes citizens from around the world. She feels people often hear about Columbus Junction, and this is an ideal time to see how its diverse citizenry celebrate, and what’s important to them. In addition to the scheduled events, Smith says the celebration has traditionally served as a kind of homecoming and class reunion time for people. For more information, listen to the In Touch with Southeast Iowa interview with Smith. For a full list of events, click on the link below.

http://columbusjunctioniowa.org/visitor-information/events/