Maple Leaf Festival a tradition for over 50 years

By: Paige Ellis

BHS journalism

Maple Leaf Festival, a weekend in October that is filled with food family and fun, has been a Baldwin City tradition for over 50 years. People from all over the area come including Lawrence, Eudora, Wellsville and many others. For most this is a stress free weekend where you can go and relax with a nice turkey leg.

“The best part of Maple Leaf for me was when I got to walk in the parade for the first time and getting to see all the little girls waving and smiling at me I was proud the be a cheerleader for BHS, ” sophomore Kennedy Chrisco said.

And for others the fun comes to them while working some of the booths for family, church, or an organization they are involved in, such as 4-H.

“The best part of maple leaf is getting to know the community and see my friends and school mates at the booth,” sophomore Sydney Thurlow said.

Thurlow works at her church booth she really enjoys it and is planning on doing it this year as well.

“I have been working for about five years, I help dealing with money and the cash register and getting people drinks,” Thurlow said.

Of course it’s not all done by just one person in a day, many people help to put this weekend on and make it enjoyable.

“Our students receive financial help with going on our mission trip, while at the same time helping the community prepare for an amazing festival!  Youth director for Baldwin First United Methodist Church Eva Durand said

Durand has been helping with booth chalking for over 9 years.

As the weekend is just around the corner many people are saving money and getting prepared to deal with huge crowds and find that perfect parking spot.