By: Mark Vest | Farmington Press | Published July 16, 2024
FARMINGTON — The event that perhaps defines Farmington unlike any other is set to return to the city’s downtown soon.
The 60th edition of the Farmington Founders Festival is scheduled to take place July 18-20.
After last year’s festival, current Farmington Mayor Joe LaRussa, who was the mayor pro tem at the time, stated that there were more than 43,000 attendees.
With this year’s festival coinciding with the city’s bicentennial, it is possible that attendance figures could rise even higher.
Some of the most popular events associated with the festival will return, including the Farmington Founders Festival Parade, the Farmington Fido Fest, a 5K color run, musical entertainment, a kids area and a crafters market.
LaRussa touched on what is perhaps one of the biggest draws of the festival.
“It’s not a one-dimensional thing,” he said. “There’s evening-oriented things for adults. There’s family-driven things during the day. … There’s … such a variety. There’s something for everybody.”
Perhaps the signature event of the festival is the Farmington Founders Festival Parade, which is scheduled to take place along Grand River Avenue at 10 a.m. July 20.
Maria Taylor, who is a City Council member and the council liaison to the Farmington Bicentennial Steering Committee, shared a unique aspect of this year’s parade.
“The parade is going to be a decades parade … at the suggestion of the bicentennial task force,” Taylor said. “When they put out the call for entries, they asked every group who was participating (to) choose a different decade to represent. … The library’s doing the 1950s because that was the decade when the Farmington Community Library became the first district library in Michigan. … It’ll be fun to see all the creative ways our community comes up with to represent Farmington throughout the decades.”
The 5K Color Run is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 20, and the run is slated to take place through Shiawassee Park and downtown.
The festival also offers something for those who enjoy seeing K-9 feats, as the Farmington Fido Festival is scheduled to run 10 a.m.-7 p.m. July 19 and 20.
A kids area will be on display 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on July 19 and 20 as well.
Bounce houses, stage shows and a foam party are part of the attractions, with a Lego sculpture also set to be part of the fun this year.
A crafters market that features vintage decor, handmade consumables and furniture will run 10 a.m.-7 p.m. July 19 and 20.
A tent with a variety of musical acts will feature performances downtown July 18-20. The Bicentennial Steering Committee will have a bicentennial merchandise table near the entrance of the tent 11 a.m.-8 p.m. July 20. Food trucks will be stationed near the tent.
LaRussa said that the Farmington Founders Festival is a distinct event.
“It not only is an invitation for locals to enjoy themselves, but (it) also draws a lot of visitors to downtown Farmington,” he said. “The Founders Festival is a great adhesive for community fabric. We really have a chance for people to come together and reminisce … in downtown Farmington. … Also, visitors get a chance to maybe see a small city center that they maybe didn’t know was there or perhaps knew was there but haven’t been in a while.”
For more information, visit foundersfestival.com.