Hayfield’s town celebration has come a long way, and this weekend its residents will enjoy a milestone with some extra-special events from Thursday through Sunday. Hayfield Hey Days is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

For some, it’s time to dig up the past, which was buried many years ago by local Girl Scouts. Some of the former Scouts, who buried a time-capsule 25 years ago during the first firemen’s chicken fry, will join new scouts in opening the container at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and seeing how the times have changed. Most, however, will only need to attend the events to realize just how much has changed.

“Hayfield used to have what they called the fireman’s chicken fry,” said Mayor Greg Demmer, who is also vice president of the celebration committee. “The local fire department cooked chicken and had a street dance, and it was a one-day deal.”

What started as a one-day event has grown into a four-day event, with three nights of music, food vendors, sports tournaments, a flea market, car show, tractor show, antique fire trucks, a mud bog, parade and fireworks. And there is more.

Hayfield landed the opportunity to bring the Budweiser Clydesdales to its town for the second time ever, and few are more excited than Demmer.

“It’s unbelievable,” Demmer said about the team of horses that already arrived in Hayfield on Monday. “Those horses are about 2,000 pounds each, and they pull twice their weight.”

The horses will make a brief trip to Austin on Thursday and continue their stay in Hayfield until Monday. Demmer said Budweiser, 10 clydesdales and six workers have a 60- by 100-foot setup where the horses are kept and visitors can get up-close to the gentle giants. Thus far, the clydesdales have visited summer-schoolers and the nursing home, as well.

Another fairly new event is Field of Flags, which was started last year. Demmer said 250 to 300 flags, which can be dedicated to anyone, are placed at Field Crest Care Center along Highway 30. Yet Hey Days wouldn’t be itself without one longtime tradition: the Miss Hey Days Queen.

For the anniversary, Demmer said about 20 of the past 24 queens will return for this year’s event, which also kicks off Hey Days at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Events open each following day at 8 a.m. and are followed by karaoke on Friday night, the band Time Machine on Saturday night, a 2 p.m. parade on Sunday and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Hayfield Hey Days Schedule of Events

(Weekend wristbands available at Marv’s Bar, Casey’s, American Legion, Citizens State Bank, Hayfield City Hall,
NAPA Auto, Oaks Bar & Grill, Ryan’s Foods, Frontier Lounge & Greenway in Brownsdale)

Thursday, July 26

5:30 p.m. food vendors

7:30 p.m. 25th Miss Hey Days Queen coronation, main stage downtown

9-11:30 p.m. teen dance w/ DJ Chris Nelson, main stage downtown

Friday, July 27

8 a.m. wiffle ball tourney, city pool

9 a.m. flea market, old fire hall, Center Avenue

10 a.m. Viking Pride four-person golf tournament, Oaks Golf Club

9 a.m.-8 p.m. quilt show and Relay for Life event, Sacred Heart Church, Highway 30

Noon Field of Flags, Field Crest Care Center, Highway 30

12:30 p.m. summer rec drama performance, Hayfield High School

5:30 p.m. Hayfield welcomes the Budweiser Clydesdales mini parade, First and Main Street

6:30 p.m. Bingo, American Legion

7-8 p.m. Kids open karaoke, main stage, downtown

8:30 p.m. “The Voices: Karaoke Contest,” main stage downtown

Saturday, July 28

8 a.m. 5K family walk/run, city park, 477-3655

8 a.m. softball tournament, city pool, 272-2922

8 a.m. volleyball tournament, city park, 477-3580

9 a.m. flea market, Center Avenue.

9 a.m. Field of Flags, Field Cres Care Center, Highway 30

9 a.m.-6 p.m. Relay for Life event and quilt show, Sacred Heart Church, Highway 30

9 a.m. antique tractor show, Northside Auto, Highway 30

9 a.m.-1 p.m. HHS Vikette Dance Team car wash, WALTCO Bldg, Highway 30

10 a.m. antique tractor pull, Reese Farm Services, Highway 30 (9 a.m. register)

11:30 a.m. princess party (ages 2+), Trinity Lutheran Church

Noon-7 p.m. fun inflatables

12:30 p.m. summer rec drama performance, Hayfield High School

1 p.m. Rough Riders mudd boggs

3 p.m. beanbag tournament, Center Avenue S

3:30 p.m. Girl Scouts 100th birthday, Time Capsule Extraction, Field Crest

4 p.m. Field of Flags honor bell display and WWII B25 flyover

5 p.m. Hayfield Fire Dept. chicken fry, First Ave. NW

6:30 p.m. Bingo, American Legion

8:30-12:30 p.m. Time Machine, main stage, downtown (wristband required)

Sunday, July 29

8 a.m. softball/volleyball tournament continues

9 a.m. flea market, Center Avenue

9 a.m. Cruisers car show/antique fire truck show, Main Street

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Field of Flags, Field Crest Care Center

11 a.m. community worship service, Memorial Park

12 p.m. dinner catered by Uncle Monys, Memorial Park

12 p.m. concert in the park, TLC Worship Band, Memorial Park

2 p.m. Grand Parade and WWII B25 flyover

3-7 p.m. Blue Denim Band, American Legion

3:30-5 p.m. Reptile Zoo, Memorial Park

3:30 p.m. Stix of Fury, main stage, downtown

3:30-7:30 p.m. Highway 30 DJ and karaoke, Marv’s Bar and Grill

4 p.m. Hayfield Fire Dept. water wars

9:30 p.m. fireworks, Hayfield School parking lot