Elgin Riverfest sets record with more than 100 registered vehicles

Elgin Riverfest drew more than 100 registered vehicles to the Elgin Riverfest grounds on Father’s Day, setting a new record for the Elgin Lions Club event. The turnout went beyond cars alone, with motorcycles and antique tractors adding to the mix and giving the one-day festival a busier look than club organizers expected.

Steve Oliver, who chaired the car show, said the Lions were excited by the response. The duck race sold out early, and seven winners were named: Tim Booleu, Kait Bonnie, Colleen McDonald, Bob Reiter, Doreen Baker, Kennedy Neicher and Cindy Knate. With both the vehicle display and duck race drawing strong participation, the day gave the Lions another sign that Riverfest continues to attract steady interest in Elgin and beyond.

The festival spread its appeal across several other attractions. Visitors could stop at a BINGO booth, take a turn at the cake walk, try the pine cone throw or play cornhole. An information booth on local Lion history and upcoming events tied the celebration back to the club’s larger service work, while vendors set up both inside and outside the fence. The Old Time Fiddlers played from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Duck Train kept running with Jim Baker and Jim Way as engineers.

Kate Botger also helped organize a flyer effort to place notices around local businesses so visitors could find yard sales and other stops around town, linking Riverfest to downtown Elgin’s broader foot traffic and small-business activity. That kind of spillover matters in a town event built as much on local participation as on formal admission, with families moving between the festival grounds, nearby shops and sales throughout the community.

The strong 2026 turnout fit a pattern the Lions had already been building for months. In April, the club was promoting Riverfest as a Father’s Day event featuring the Duck Race, cake walks, BINGO and other activities, and encouraging owners to bring vehicles, motorcycles and antique tractors. A year earlier, the Lions said Riverfest featured a Fireman’s breakfast, a yard-sale map, food trucks, crafts and a car show, and that 1,000 Duck Race tickets sold out early. The 2025 winners were Becky Churchill, Tina Moore, Shanna Arbogast, Jim Heck and Debbie Loslie.

The Riverfest result also reflects the Elgin Lions Club’s long-standing role in Union County civic life. The club has described itself as a service organization focused on charity, community work and ocular health, with projects that have included vision exams and glasses, hearing-aid help, scholarships, community-garden repairs, highway cleanup and Flags for First Graders. Riverfest remains one of its most visible public events, and this year’s record vehicle count gave that mission an especially strong public showing.