By Jeff Kenney Staff Writer
CULVER — With just over a week to go before the 26th annual Culver Lake Fest kicks off July 17-19, Lake Fest committee president Mike Overmyer and treasurer (and Mike’s wife) Connie Overmyer shared some of the highlights of this year’s event easily overlooked (Glenn Patton is committee vice president and Shelli Dickey is secretary).

Decorating contest

A brand-new addition to this year’s festival, the golf cart decorating contest, grew out of the committee’s observations of the growing number of golf carts in use during the summer in the Culver area — so many, in fact, that the town of Culver has adopted an ordinance and licensing system for cart owners.
The contest, then, gives Culver’s many golf cart users an opportunity to have fun while helping support Culver’s depleted food pantry. A $5 fee is charged for each entry, with decorated carts on display as the grand finale in this year’s Lake Fest parade (starting Saturday morning, July 18, at 10 a.m. near downtown). A panel of preselected judges will name winners following the parade.
Parade marshal
Sharon Coffey, longtime Culver resident and retired Culver Community Schools nurse (profiled in last week’s Lake Fest insert, in the Culver Citizen and Pilot News) is the 2009 Lake Fest parade marshal.
Other attractions
More details on Lake Fest offerings will appear in Friday’s Pilot News, but committee members point out this year’s car burnout contest Sunday afternoon will take place one hour earlier than in recent years at 2 p.m., with registration also an hour earlier, at 11 a.m.
This year’s ski show is sponsored by Culver Academies and will include some local skiers among others.
Indiana’s Department of Motor Vehicles contacted festival organizers to offer a booth for renewal of driver’s licenses and plates, a welcome addition to the festivities which also provides a convenient service for those attending.
The Lion’s Club will provide breakfast both Saturday and Sunday the weekend of the festival, at 6 a.m. in the train station, and last year’s popular fire-men’s waterball contest takes place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in front of the fire station.
Help is needed
The festival committee are in great need of assistance, the Overmyers pointed out, from volunteers willing to help out at the event itself. Due to scheduling changes at other events around the county, help is needed for Lake Fest, primarily in the areas of tent setup Thursday evening around 5:30 p.m., information booth in two hour shifts during the festival, and tear-down after the event closes Sunday afternoon.
The committee is also seeking “new blood” to join in helping plan and execute the festival next year.