Hey, hey, hey! July 18-21 is the 14th annual Hayfield Hey Days. The town really comes alive with non-stop activity for four days. For the second year in a row Greg Demmer, the owner of the Frontier Lounge is the chairman for Hey Days.

"We’ve been planning this year’s event since January. Hey Days first started in 1988. The businesses started it to promote the town. It really started out as a chicken fry by the fire department and then we decided to put on the pageant. I have been involved from the start. For a couple years I wasn’t involved but now that I have my business right in town and can be reached 18 hours a day, I was the obvious chose for being the chairman. I like doing it,"

said Demmer.

Hey Days starts out with the Miss Hey Days Pageant at the high school July 18 at 7 p.m. Relinquishing her royal position is Amy Eggert, Miss Hey Days of 2001. The eleven candidates vying to be Miss Hey Days 2002 are Tara Mittlestadt, Heather Schmeling. Jamie Bennett, Jenny Stanton, Laura Nelson, Stephanie Thoen, Brianna Rouhoff, Aimee Grosam, Kristen Kaczmarek, Rachelle Williams, and Amanda Ehmke.

Fireworks will be blown off at dusk on Main Street to really get the fist day started out with a bang. Following the fire works is a Teen Dance at the old Fire Hall.

July 19 begins with a Pee Wee Tournament. Teams will be coming from Kasson, Pine Island and other are towns. Art in the park will be on display from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Food Booths and the Legion Beer Gardens will open

up at 5 p.m. The first round of the Softball Tournament begins at 7:30 p.m. Things really start hopping at 9 p.m. with a street dance and music by The Dweebs, a fifties and sixties style band.

Saturday morning the Softball Tournament resumes at 8 a.m. and Volleyball Tournaments start at the same time. The Oaks Country Club will be hosting their annual golf tournament at 8:30 a.m. and at 9 a.m. is a Garden Tractor Pull.

Another popular event starts at 1 p.m. with the Rochester Rough Riders, Mud Bog Racing. This will take place behind the Terra Elevator off Minnesota Highway 30 to Third Ave. N. W.

An old time band will be playing Saturday afternoon in the Legion Hall. A beer garden and Bingo will be available in the evening. The event keeps on a going into the late hours with the big band sound of Incognito, the top featured band at this year’s Rochester Fest. There will be dancing in the streets starting at 9 p.m.

Sunday the activities show no ebbing with the Softball and Volleyball Tournaments resuming at 8 a.m. A community worship service is open to all denominations at 11 a.m. in the Downtown Park with dinner served to Gospel Music at 12 p.m.

The popular Antique Tractor Pull starts at 12 p.m. This is put on by the Southeastern Minnesota Antique Tractor Pull Association.

"People really like seeing the old tractors. This group has a following and those that are in it put on the whole show," Demmer said.

New this year to Hey Days is a balloon release that will be held after the parade at 2 p.m. Children wishing to release a balloon can register at 1 p.m. and put their name on a card attached to a balloon that says if this card is found please return to Hayfield. The child whose name is on the card will be able to win a prize.

A Kiddie Parade will be held at 1:30 p.m. before the Grand Parade.

"The Kiddie Parade has always been small and we plan on having it be larger this year," Demmer said. "We have contacted local day cares and they will be involved in getting more kids in the parade."

The Grand Parade is set for 2 p.m. and there are 100 units scheduled. The Grand Marshall for the Hey Days Parade is Randy Demmer, who is running for state representative. During the parade will be a flyover of vintage WW11 aircraft.

After the parade will be the Fire Fighters’ Water Fight. Following this will be the Black Dog Pipe Band. This is a band that plays brass instruments and has a marching unit. Hey Days ends with a Pinewood Derby put on by local Boy Scout troops.

These are miniature cars made from kits and raced on a small track. Past Boy Scouts will be racing their own pinewood cars.

"It really is four days of fun with something for everyone,"

Demmer said. "The Hey Day Royalty has a ball at the dances handing out cash prizes throughout the night with drawings of lucky Hey Day button numbers. A Hey Day button is needed for almost all the events and cost $5."

Sheila Donnelly can be reached at 434-2233 or by e-mail at :mailto:newsroom@austindailyherald.com