Antique & Classic Car Show

Antique and classic cars and trucks from around the country will be proudly displayed in downtown Mount Vernon. Each antique and classic car is unique, every vehicle is truly a work of art.

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Antique Vehicle Showcase

Appalachian Worship

A worship service of Appalachian music will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, just east of the Square. Appalachian hymnody, sung by the congregation and soloists, will be accompanied by guitars, banjos, and fiddles. All are welcome!

Banjo & Flat-Pick Guitar Contests

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Chautauqua

An evening of living history featuring - Audrey Hepburn [a.k.a. Amy Stoner]; Hank Williams [a.k.a. Jeff Putnman and his sidekick - 82-year-old Wilson]; John Belushi [a.k.a. Dayne Baughman]; And The Beatles: John Lennon [a.k.a. Jim Stoner], George Harrison [a.k.a. Desmond Wall], Paul McCartney [a.k.a. Mike Petee], and Ringo Starr [a.k.a. Bill Miller]

Cheer Competition

Teams from all local and area schools have been invited to participate. There will be trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each division. The groups are divided into divisions of Varsity, Junior Varsity, Junior High, Pee-Wee and Colt. There will be no tumbling or stunting in this competition.

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Columbus Zoo

The program will allow you to get up close and personal with the animals that travel with Jungle Jack Hanna to such shows as Good Morning America, The Late show with David Letterman, and Larry King Live. Discover where they are from, what they eat and possibly touch some of these amazing animals. We try to bring a variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals.

COSI

COSI's all-new Science Spot traveling science exhibition gives your guest the opportunity to play, explore, and learn about science together. Science Spot is perfect for festivals, fundraisers, corporate and school events! COSI's Science Spot consists of colorful hands-on kiosks that you can rent by the hour (3-hour minimum). Activities are suitable for adults and children and can be set up indoors or outdoors.

Cupcake Eating Contest

The event will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 13. The 2 dollar application fee will benefit Food for the hungry. There will be three (3) contests by age groups: Ages 0-7, Ages 8-12, and Ages 13-99. Each contest will have two (2) minutes to eat as many cupcakes as they can. Cupcakes must be consumed in their entirety to qualify toward the final count. Contestants will be disqualified if they cannot perform the instructed actions described, or if they raise their hand at the eating table. Contestants who are unable to keep the cupcakes down will be disqualified. No other food or drink is allowed at the table.

Dan Emmett Dedication Ceremony

The annual "Eleanor Wright Unsung Hero Award" will be presented during this ceremony. The Award will honor one of the many local unsung heroes, those volunteers behind the scenes, who give their time and hard work without any public recognition of their efforts. Previous honorees are Eleanor Wright, Curt Cree, Jim Ingerham, M. E. Carpenter, Sally Nelson, John Nixon, Carol Kilkenny, Julie Chester, and Chuck Kindel.

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Dan Emmett Dog Show

New this year is the Dan Emmett Dog Show, scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 13th by the Dan Emmett Birthplace Home at 501 South Main Street. This three hour event is hosted by the local 4-H Club. Beginning at 4:00 p.m., 4-H members will demonstrate how dogs use an agility course. From 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., the public is invited to bring their dogs to participate in the Dress-Up and Dog Tricks Contests.

Dan Emmett Flower Show

The Flower show has a total of 5 divisions. Each division contains several classes with different specifications on plant type or arrangement design and theme.

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Dan Emmett House Tours

Probably Mount Vernon's most noted person prior to the days of television was Daniel Decatur Emmett. Dan Emmett, the author of Dixie, wrote that stirring song that was adopted by the Confederacy during the Civil War. Its melodious sound is still sung widely today.

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Festival Bell Auction

Twelve bells are auctioned each year to create a series of annual Dan Emmett Music & Arts Festival Bells. The bells are individually cast, are unique, and year specific. They are cast to resemble the 2003 Ohio Bicentennial Bell, the 2005 Mount Vernon Bicentennial Bell, and the 2008 Knox County Bicentennial Bell.

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Fine Arts & Handcrafts

Local and distant Artisans will display their work in Downtown Mount Vernon. Many Artisans will be showcased in booths which will be set up on South Main Street.

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Homemades & Trades Show

The Homemades and Trades Show includes home crafters, antiques, collectibles, merchants, and businesses.

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Knox County Quilt Show

This show will exhibit approximately 200 quilts, both antique and new construction, wall hangings, miscellaneous quilted pieces and clothing, and fabric art, from area quilters and fabric artists.

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Knox Idol Competition

The final competition will be held at the Dan Emmett Music & Arts Festival on Friday at 9:00 p.m. All finalists will perform and then be voted on by the audience at the Festival. Ballots, with two voting sets, will be available for purchase for those wishing to vote for a jumi donation, with all proceeds being donated to the Woodward Opera House restoration project.

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Line Dancing

Motorcycle Show

Motorcycles of all makes and models are invited to a Motorcycle Show during the Dan Emmett Music & Arts Festival. There are six classes for this juried show: Custom, Touring, Vintage (25 years and older), Trike, Cruiser and Sport. The show will be held on the West Vine Street area from Mulberry to Main Street in conjunction with the Dan Emmett Antique and Classic Car Show.

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Old-Time Fiddle Contest

Dan Emmett, author of "Dixie", was well known for his fiddle playing ability. It is to his legacy that the Dan Emmett Music & Arts Festival is dedicated. In honor of our musical icon, the Festival is again hosting the Fiddle Contest on Saturday, August 13th at the First-Knox Main Stage on the town square.

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Senior Day on Square

UPI 5-mile Run/Walk

This annual event will take place Saturday morning. The course starts at E. Gambier Street in downtown Mount Vernon and follows residential streets to the Kokosing Gap Trail bike path then back around to the finish line at the Dan Emmett Conference Center. Registration begins at 7:30 am. The starting gun goes off at 8:30 and the course closes at 11:00 am.

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WNZR DJ Bowl

Players can bowl between 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm. with a chance to win prizes. Pre-schoolers will use a traditional kiddie-bowl setup while those 6 and over will bowl using a Wii Sports System provided by Family Video of Mount Vernon. Visitors and bowlers will also have the chance to be a guest DJ on site, playing music for those in attendance.

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Woodward Opera House Tours

The Woodward Development Corporation will be hosting tours through the Woodward Opera House, America's oldest authentic 19th century theater. Guides will be available to explain the progress of the project to date and explain the mission and objectives of the organizations promoting the restoration project.

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