Washington Chamber of Commerce
Main Street Washington
WEDG
City of Washington
Washington Ridiculous Days: May 30th – June 2nd, 2024
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!
2024/05/30 06:00:00
Thank you to our 2024 Sponsors! If your business or organization is interested in partnering with us on this celebration, please see the sponsorship button to the left.
Thank you to our Sponsors:
Robert & Diane Gallagher, Tenacity Ag Solutions, Washington Lumber & Home Center, Kiwanis AMers, Washington County Hospitals & Clinics, Horak Insurance, Golden Eagle Distributing, Noon Kiwanis
Washington Ridiculous Days is a 4-day festival kick-off to summer that highlights everything our town stands for — featuring agriculture, family, local shopping, music, food and more.
This festival began in 1947 with the first Ridiculous days and has been the annual celebration for the City of Washington since then. Always held the first weekend in June, we kick-off the summer with a weekend of Ridiculous Days sidewalk sales, family activities, live music, fantastic food, and fun for the entire community.
Check out the ridiculous sales on our Facebook page! With different activities and a food truck court, there is something to please everyone!
Celebrate Ridiculous Sales: Thursday – Saturday 9a-6pm, Additional Business Open on Sunday
Ridiculous Days offers 4 days (Thursday – Saturday, with most businesses open from 9am – 6pm, some businesses will be open on Sunday) worth of crazy deals, bargains and sidewalk sales from Washington retailers in the first weekend of June. Did you know you don’t have to have a physical location to sell your items? Registering to become a retail vendor gets you a spot somewhere in front of a business. Have one in mind? Let us know! Check out all of the ridiculous sales on our Facebook page!
Celebrate Family
Throughout the weekend, celebrate with family-friendly activities right on the square in downtown Washington. We will have a full schedule of events that you and your loved ones can do. Activities like a free swim, children’s activities & games, face painting, Touch-A-Truck (Kids can explore Fire Trucks, Police Cars, Ambulance, Construction Trucks, Tractors), Pony Rides, Bounce House, Movies on Main and so much more!
Ridiculous Day Street Dance
The event formerly known as the Flightline Live concert is making a comeback on a grander scale, now situated in Central Park in downtown Washington. The Ridiculous Days Street Dance is all set for this year’s show is featuring Luke Thomas and Tyler Richton and The High Bank Boys happening on June 1st from 6:30-11pm.
Tyler Richton and The High Bank Boys are a country band based in Central Iowa. Formed in 2015, the HBB got their start in small-town bars and parties, honing their skills to make more than 50 years of experience combined. Now playing across the midwest everywhere from rockin’ honky-tonks to opening shows for the likes of Tracy Byrd, John Michael Montgomery, Craig Morgan and more, Tyler Richton and The High Bank Boys bring a neo-traditional sound with high energy and real music. Drawing influence from artists like Merle Haggard, Charlie Daniels and Hank Williams Jr., audiences of all kinds find a show they can enjoy and music they can feel.
The beverage tent will open after the Ridiculous parade concludes. Dance and sing along to all your favorite hits! You won’t want to miss this concert event! Open to public, FREE admission. Must be 21 or older to purchase alcohol.
Frequently Asked Questions
NEW in 2024! Kids Parade:
Get ready to march, dance, and shine at our upcoming Kids Parade as we celebrate the spirit of youth and creativity! 🎈
🎨 From superheroes to princesses, pirates to astronauts, every kid is a star in our parade! 🌈 Kids who would like to join the Ridiculous Day Parade are invited to line up in the parking lot of the UP Church starting as early as 4:30pm on Saturday, June 1. The parade will depart the parking lot with the kids near the front (after the emergency vehicles and Shriners). Kids can walk, ride their bike/scooter, have a wagon and we also welcome electric kid vehicles. The best part is, kids won’t miss out on the rest of the parade by being in it! Parents, we ask that you position yourself at the end of the parade route in front of the Washington State Bank so you can meet up with your kids, who can then join you and watch the remainder of the parade and catch some goodies from the floats!
📅 Let’s make memories together at the Kids Parade! 🎊
Get ready for some seriously silly fun at the Washington Ridiculous Days event! Join the excitement by taking part in this year’s parade. Participation is FREE to display your creativity, but if you’re feeling competitive, chip in $10 to enter the float showdown for a shot at winning a shiny trophy and a cash prize. The parade starts downtown at 5 pm. Let your imagination run wild and infuse your float design with a dash of absurdity! Sign up for the parade HERE
REGISTER YOUR TRACTOR FOR THE TRACTOR PARADE:
Tractors can arrive at the fairgrounds and register around 2-4 pm. The tractors will depart at 4 pm from the fairgrounds. Questions for the Antique Tractor Parade can be directed to Jerome Vittetoe, 319-430-0797.
THE RIDICULOUS DAY AND ANTIQUE TRACTOR PARADE IS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE DOWNTOWN AT 5PM ON SATURDAY. CHECK OUT THE ROUTE MAPS HERE.
SUPERHERO & PRINCESS CONTEST:
Instead of offering the Superhero & Princess Contest, we are inviting all area kiddos to join in the Kids Parade. Please see details above for Parade information.
KIDDIE TRACTOR PULL CONTEST: Thursday, May 30 at 5pm
Round up your kids and pedal away to the Kiddie Tractor Pull Contest. Registration starts at 5pm and the contest begins at 5:30 on the NW corner of the square. This event is generously sponsored by the Washington Keokuk County Corn & Soybean Growers.
RETAIL VENDORS:
Let’s get RIDICULOUS! Come and join us for the 77th Annual Ridiculous Day Sidewalk Deals & Steals. Our market is an open invitation to showcase and sell your product.
Non-downtown retailers are welcome. Contact the Chamber for the vendor registration form by contacting 319-653-3272.
VOLUNTEER FOR THE DIFFERENT EVENTS:
Did you know our Chamber events are run by volunteers? We appreciate everyone in the community who has given their time. Without you, our events wouldn’t be possible. If you are interested in volunteering, you can see the available opportunities by clicking HERE, or contact us at [email protected] and we can send you more information!