BonnerSprings.com

Photo by Kevin Anderson

Nathaniel Downie, Fort Leavenworth, shoots marbles during last year's Marble Days event. This year's event will be Saturday, May 3, and will include several entertainment options as well as the "Running of the Pinkys."

Chieftain staff reports

The second annual Marble Days celebration on Saturday, May 3, will include plenty of new activities for residents as well as out-of-town families to take part in.

For one, there's the children and bicycle parade down Oak Street. It isn't necessary to have a bicycle in order to participate; scooters, skateboards and those who want to just walk are welcome, said Bruce Breslow, one of the organizers of Marble Days and co-owner of Moon Marble Company.

Breslow said the event has its roots in a European tradition named Marble Day, so-called because was the first day of spring when the ground was dry enough to play marbles.

The plural noun in the event's name may confuse some, as the activities don't span more than one 24-hour period. But, said Bryan Albers, another organizer and sponsor of Marble Days, that's because "we hope to make it a couple days eventually."

Also new this year will be more food vendors, said Albers, with items priced at- or near-cost.

"We want a family of four to be able to come out with $10 in their pocket and have a good day," he said.

This year's Marble Days will also include Yvonne Patterson's "Wings of Love" show, which will feature exotic birds performing stunts plus Patterson's magic tricks involving her birds. There will also be street performers, including a juggler.

A permanent concrete shooting ring for the marbles tournament will be another new feature for this year. The ring, which was just built this month, is next to the caboose in Centennial Park at the corner of Second and Cedar streets.

Keeping with the tradition that began last year, there will be a "Running of the Pinkys," in which 500 rubber balls will be released to make their way past various obstacles down Oak Street. For $2, a pinky can be registered and the owner of the ball that first crosses the finish line at the bottom of the street wins a $500 savings bond.

Proceeds raised from the "Running of the Pinky's" will be donated to the Bonner Springs Parks and Recreation Scholarship Fund.

Forms to buy a Pinky ball are available at downtown Bonner Springs merchants, including the Chieftain office, 128 Oak St.

Free "Blast from the Past" activities such as hopscotch, jacks and hula-hoops will be sponsored by Bonner Springs businesses up and down Oak Street. There will also be a marble-invention contest for the best homemade contraption that uses marbles, and a marble-art contest, for art made with - you guessed it - marbles.

A full list and descriptions of the day's activities and their sponsors are available on the Web site www.marbledays.com.

The schedule of events for the day are as follows:

¢ 8-10 a.m. at Community Center, 200 E. Third St.: Registration for Marble Invention and Marble Art contests. Registration also available anytime before Saturday online at marbledays.com.

¢ 10 a.m., Centennial Park, Second and Cedar streets: Opening ceremony. Skyler Ochoa will sing the National Anthem.

¢ 11-11:30 a.m., Centennial Park, Second and Cedar streets: "Wings of Love" bird show.

¢ 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Community Center, 200 E. Third St., Centennial Park, and throughout downtown Bonner Springs: Old-fashioned games open to all ages, and will allow participants to learn various games with marbles.

¢ Noon, Oak Street: Running of the Pinkys.

¢ 1 p.m., Centennial Park, Second and Cedar streets: Marble shoot. Participants ages 7-15 can compete against each other in a game called ringer.

¢ 2 p.m., Oak Street: Children and bicycles parade.

Children of all ages are invited to decorate their bicycles, tricycles, wagons, scooters and other human - or gravity - powered vehicles in the parade. The only requirements are that vehicles must have braking systems and cannot be motorized. Ribbons will be given out for the following awards: Most Creative, Best Decorated, and Noisiest. Age groups are: 5 and under, 6-8, and 9 and above. The parade staging area will be Oak Street from Nettleton Avenue to Third Street.