LCJ's move to Potawatomi Park offers new ways to have fun

RENSSELAER — Moving the 2023 Little Cousin Jasper Festival to Potawatomi Park near downtown Rensselaer provides organizers a new way to market their festival.

For example, the Jasper Newton Foundation and United Way Northwest are sponsoring a Zipline Adventure, which gives festival visitors a chance to zip across a section of the Iroquois River for a nominal fee.

The adventure is set for Friday, Sept. 8 from 5-9 p.m. to kick off the evening portion of the festival. A rope will straddle the river near the Potawatomi bridge, daring thrill seekers to fork over $2 for a seated ride across.

The festival, which began its run in 1974, was moved to Potawatomi Park due to the City of Rensselaer’s Downtown Revitalization project. The city began work on two streets that the festival often uses — Harrison and Van Rensselaer — earlier this summer with the brick street portion of the project on Van Rensselaer to begin this fall.

The LCJ committee said the move was a better alternate than not having the festival.

“It is the only venue in Rensselaer that has the electric and water sources we need to operate,” said LCJ committee chair Pat Fox. “It will require compromises from everybody. Park a block north of where you normally park. Many walk from home so this allows them to still do this. And, this is all handicap accessible.”

The entertainment stage will be placed behind Mt. Hood Pizza and Fenwick’s Beer Garden will be at the College St. entrance. Craft and information booths will be around the sidewalk at the park and there will be Porta Potties.

Food trucks will be across the walking bridge in the Front Street parking lot and the Pirate Revenge kids’ ride will be on Front Street as well. A Laser Tag course will be set up at Milroy Park.

The three-day festival (Sept. 8-10), which has a Potawatomi Pirates theme this year, will begin with a hospitality breakfast in the LCJ tent at the park from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday. Opening ceremonies will start at 4:15 p.m. with the announcement of the 2023 Lil’ King and Queen to follow at 4:30 p.m.

Motivational Drummers will take the stage at 5 p.m., with the First Christian Church on Van Rensselaer Street to hold its annual beef and noodle supper at 5 p.m.

Elvis impersonator Curt Lechner will perform from 6-8 p.m.

On Saturday, the Farmers Market will open from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the parking lot across from the courthouse, with vendors to open their trailers and booths at 9 a.m.

The Dance In Line Dancers will perform at 10 a.m., with a magician to follow at 11 a.m. LCJ wouldn’t be complete without a parade, which begins at 12 p.m. and will follow the same route as before through downtown. McDonald’s owners Larry and Maureen Kosanovich will serve as grand marshals of the parade.

The Jimmy Buffet cover band Parrots of the Caribbean will perform from 1-3 p.m. at the park, followed by a magician performance and face painting.

The rest of the evening will feature Blacktop Rodeo, a country music band, at 4 p.m., the annual Eagles fish fry at 4 p.m. and the class Southern Rock band Relentless performing from 7-9 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 10 will be kid’s day at LCJ, with Pirates revenge, Zorb War, a slide and bounce house to entertain the young ones. The day will begin with the Rensselaer Volunteer Fire Department’s annual breakfast from 6 a.m. to noon at the firehouse, with a RAMA church service set for 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the main stage in the park.

The local band Warrented will perform classic rock, blues and country from 1-3 p.m. and free cookies and milk will be provided by McDonald’s at 3 p.m. to close the festival.

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