The 2011 Colfax Mineral Springs Days was an overwhelming success. According to RD Streeter, the new Methodist Church Minister, “it was a Norman Rockwell moment”. The weather was gorgeous and the turnout was wonderful!

Check out the pictures at the following link:

The live music was a real hit. Many people were impressed by the daytime musical talents of Boomerang and Travis Patton. The evening performance by Standing Hampton was enjoyed by approximately 1,000 people from around the state of Iowa. Many local people commented on what a great band Standing Hampton was and that they that they really liked seeing all of the people on the streets in downtown Colfax.

Food vendors all reported success. C-Town Smokers sold out of food in the early afternoon, the Historical Society sold out of their walking tacos and the Senior Citizens Center sold out of their spaghetti dinner. The Methodist Church sold out of everything in their stand and even made more food runs to have food available. Other vendors were very happy with the results and plan to come back next year including the Mississippi Queen and Christi’s Tropical Sno. The Catholic Church Youth Group pancake breakfast and Chapter BA PEO root beer float stand reported success as well.

The Demolition Derby had over 1,500 people in attendance. Everything went well including the new bleacher system, the announcer and the event logistics. The Lions Club 5K, Skunk River Cruzers, Disc Golf (sponsored by Mojo’s Cycling of Newton) and Softball Tourney all had increased attendance over last year with the Disc Golf Tournament tripling their attendance. According to Danae Edwards, “The softball tournament went well, probably the best tourney we have had so far. The weather was great and teams got along well together!” The crowds were a little bit smaller for the Diaper Derby, Diaper Decorated Diaper Contest and the Lions Club Bingo, but they were still enjoyed by those that attended.

Over 500 children purchased wrist bands to play on the inflatable’s (donated by the Methodist Church), visit the petting zoo, ride on the barrel trains (donated by Larry Glassford and Jerry Miller) and have their face painted by a Colfax- Mingo High School (CMHS) art student. The barrel rides had a line nearly all day and the CMHS art students did a phenomenal job painting faces – what talent! The Jasper County Jokers provided wonderful balloon art and entertainment as well.

Attendees also enjoyed the Downtown Marketplace, sidewalk sales and local deals. Many attendees commented on how they enjoyed visiting the various craft vendors in the Downtown Marketplace and the craft vendors also commented that the people were very friendly and they would like to come back again next year. Wishes reported successful sidewalk sales. The Colfax Library book sale went very well with more people shopping then last year. Weirick and Patterson Pharmacy has never had more people in their store during Mineral Springs Days –there was a constant line reaching to the door for ice cream cones.

Colfax Mineral Springs Days would not be possible without our volunteers and investors. Thank you for all of your hard work and financial commitments to make the 2011 Colfax Mineral Springs Days a success!

If you are interested in helping plan the 2011 Colfax Mineral Springs Days, please contact the Colfax Main Street office at 515.674.9071 or colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com.

Join Dickerson Mechanical and Colfax Main Street to celebrate the opening of the new Dickerson Mechanical building and the accomplishments of Colfax Main Street.

On Saturday, October 1st from 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM Dickerson Mechanical will be hosting a public Open House in their new building at 129 North West Street, Colfax. They will be serving a complimentary meal for friends and family. Help Dickerson Mechanical celebrate as they put the Floods of 2010 behind them and enjoy a fresh start in their new building!

Also, on Saturday, October 1st at 6:00 PM at Dickerson Mechanical, Colfax Main Street will hold an Annual Meeting to recognize volunteers, investors and share their accomplishments. This adult focused evening will also have a “Dinner with Grandma” auction where local grandmas will be auctioned off to host a dinner in their home to benefit Colfax Main Street. The evening activities will also include live music from the Craig Swalwell Band, a cash bar hosted by Colfax Main Street and a complimentary dinner hosted by Dickerson Mechanical.

Those planning to attend the annual meeting are asked to RSVP to Colfax Main Street at 515.674.9071/ colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com.

Photo of the new Dickerson Mechanical Building

The annual Colfax Mineral Springs Days is just around the corner! Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 25th. Colfax will be busting with excitement!

A complete printable schedule of events is also below. Use the links below to view more information for each of the activities. Check out Facebook at “Colfax Main Street" to stay up to speed on new events and what people are saying about Colfax Mineral Springs Days.

Friday, August 24
Colfax Library Book Sale: 2 PM - 6 PM
Colfax Senior Citizens Spaghetti Dinner: 4 PM - 7 PM, Senior Center, free will donation.

Saturday, August 25
EVENTS
Skunk River Cruzers Car Show: 8 AM-3 PM
Slow Pitch Softball Tournament: 8 AM, $125/team, contact Danae @ 515.681.7969.
Sidewalk Sales and Great Local Deals: 8 AM - TBD, Wishes, Weirick’s Pharmacy, the Gem of Colfax and more!
Street Vendors: 9 AM - 5 PM,air brush tattoos, fresh produce, baby gifts, jewelry, handmade art and more!
Colfax Library Book Sale: 9 AM - Noon, contact Jill @ 515.674.3625.
Diaper Derby and Diaper Decorating Contest: 9:30 AM.
Kids Races: 10:30 AM, candy chase, water buckets, balloon toss, running, tricycles/big wheels/bikes, contact Laurie at 515.979.8164.
Centre for Arts and Artists Art Workshop: 10 AM - 2 PM, make aluminum foil pendants at Wishes, contact Karen @ 865.7079.
Corn Hole/Bags Tournament: 11 AM – TBD, $10/person, must have partner, meet near the beer garden, contact Shannon @ 515.313.1514.
Kids Fun: 11 AM – 5 PM, pony rides, inflatables, face painting, and barrel train rides, $5 wristband & canned food product for food pantry. Plus, strolling clowns and Spider Man, temporary tattoos, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and more!
Fire Fighter Water Fights: women at noon, men at 1 PM, West Division Street.
Demolition Derby: 6 PM – 9 PM, Jasper County Fairgrounds, $7/adults, $3/youth, contact Brad @ 515.669.2239.
Street Dance: 8:30 PM-12:30 AM, live music with One Nite Stand, West Howard Street, $1 admission, all ages welcome.

FOOD & DRINK - HOWARD STREET
Christian Church/Cinnamon Rolls
PEO/Root Beer Floats
Historical Society/Walking Tacos
Methodist Church/Beef Burgers & Pie
Teen Challenge/Roasted Bavarian Nuts
AM Vets/BLT’s, Sweet Corn and Baked Treats
Sloan’s Tropical Sno
Mississippi Queen BBQ
C-Town Smokers
Buca-Wich
Los Primos Mexican Grill: breakfast burritos, lunch and dinner!
Adult Beverage Garden

LIVE MUSIC - HOWARD STREET
9 AM Jareth Barnes (keyboard)
10 AM Cul-de-sac (acapella trio)
11:15 AM Julie Moss (country and gospel)
12:15 PM Pandolorian (steel drums)
1:15 PM Raydio Flyer (bluegrass)
2:45 PM Rearview Mirror (covers)
4:15 PM Up Daddies (oldies/rock covers)
5:30 PM Love Songs for Lonely Monsters (indie alternative rock)
7 PM Southern Fried (country)
8:30 PM One Nite Stand (pop/rock covers)

Sunday, August 26
Disc Golf Tournament: 9:30 AM, $10-25/person, mixed doubles, click below for registration and details! Contact Jeremy Towsley @641.660.6462.

Do you have some time spare this summer? We are in need of your help volunteering at Colfax Main Street events including the following:

RAGBRAI Beverage Garden - Colfax Main Street will have a Beverage Garden on Thursday, July 28th when RAGBRAI comes through Colfax in the morning. There are set up, sales and tear down shifts available. Join us - it will be a memorable experience!

Iowa State Fair Booth - Colfax Main Street will have a booth in the air conditioned Varied Industries building from 9 AM to 9 PM on Monday, August 15th. We will have four hour shifts. Let us know if you are interested in helping to promote Colfax!

Mineral Springs Days - There are all sorts of volunteer needs during Colfax Mineral Springs weekend including set up, tear down, bevarage garden, demolition derby, etc. Please let us know when you are available and we will find a spot for you!

There are many new business happenings in downtown Colfax this summer from new businesses to new decor!

Rocket Auction is now hosting auctions in the old Lamb Hardware Building. The next auction is Saturday, July 30th at 3 PM. Every auction is a little different. They also have a concessions stand. Contact Russ Briggs at 813.766.7636 to consign.

Patty Briggs is also operating a new retail store called the "Gem of Colfax" out of the same location. Hours are 10-3 Monday thru Saturday. The Gem of Colfax has antiques, jewelry, collectibles and much, much, more!

Weirick's Pharmacy has also updated their decor. They now have booth seating at the front of the store where customers can enjoy soda fountain treat and admire the view from the beautiful new storefront windows.

The Pepper Shack will be opening soon next to the Thirty Turtle serving sandwiches and other treats. They expect to open on Monday, July 18th.

Colfax Main Street has received a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant in the amount of $99,000. This will allow Colfax Main Street to operate a Revolving Loan Fund where any Colfax business can get a low interest loan from Colfax Main Street. Loans can be for machinery, equipment, inventory, salaries, rent, etc. Funds will be available in the Fall of 2011. For more information, please contact the Colfax Main Street office.

At noon on Saturday July 9th, Mineral Springs Park in downtown Colfax was flooded with over 1,200 people who were participating in the sold out Peter-Dink Memorial Train Ride hosted by the Colfax Fire Department. Others were there to just witness the event and the excitement of the whistles blowing, the steam rolling and the coal shoveling. It was reminiscent of the early 1900’s when 2,000 people came to Colfax daily by train to bathe in the healing Mineral Waters. This train ride was made possible through memorial donation in honor of Marilyn Wallace. Marilyn was a very strong supporter of the Colfax Fire Department and would have enjoyed seeing the Colfax Fire Department host such a successful fundraiser.

Congratulations to McKinzie Tjaden and Olivia Towsley for being selected as the June volunteers of the month!

McKinzie Tjaden and Olivia Towsley have been hitting the streets of downtown this summer in an effort to help out the Colfax Main Street program. These are two highly motivated and dedicated thirteen year old role models that are working towards the improvement of our community. They have been working for the last couple months with Julia Kern in the Main Street office with various tasks and events, such as help with the details of the large USDA façade grant application, distribution of newsletters and flyers to local business owners, and various phone calls to musicians and food vendors in preparation for Mineral Springs to name a few tasks.

McKinzie is the daughter of TJ and Brenda Tjaden that live in Colfax. McKinzie is very active in sports and can be found at the soccer field, track, or hanging with family and friends in her spare time. Olivia is the daughter of Jeremy and Ann-Marie Towsley that also live in Colfax. Olivia is active in track and chorus as she hopes to some day go on to pursue a college education and future in performing arts. We are very proud to have two local teenager’s so engaged and growing into great leaders of our future. Thank you McKinzie and Olivia for all that you have done and will continue to do!

The Colfax Main Street Volunteer of the Month is chosen by the Colfax Main Street Organization Committee. To nominate a volunteer, please call 515.674.9071 or email colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com.

RAGBRAI will be rolling through Colfax from 7 a.m. until about 10 a.m. on Thursday July 28th. Colfax will be considered a meeting town for the day, which means that all of the teams’ support vehicles will be stopping in Colfax as well. This will be a great opportunity to help Colfax shine!

Colfax will be greeting riders with loads of food vendors offering breakfast and lunch options and entertainment located on Howard Street, much like Mineral Springs Days. Here is a list of everything going on that day:
* Entertainment will be provided by a DJ and the bands Shattered Reality and M2J.
* Visitors will have an opportunity to watch Dave Jensen sculpt the RAGRAI logo and another creation out of ice with a chainsaw.
* Two beverage gardens to choose from.
* Free temporary tattoos to reward riders for climbing “Mount Colfax”. There will also be photo opportunities with backdrops made by the Colfax senior High School class of 2011.
* All five churches in the area have teamed up to provide pies, cinnamon rolls, fruit, coffee and other goodies to visitors at the Christian church.
* Visitors will get a glimpse of Colfax’s resilience after last year’s flooding with a small presentation of how our town has continued to thrive in the face of adversity. There will be an opportunity for donations for further flood relief at the church.
* Lastly, to highlight our heritage, there will be an opportunity for visitors to sample some mineral spring water at Mineral Springs Park.

With all of these different events, there is a great need to get our community involved. If you are interested in helping out, there are several different areas that could take on additional volunteers. Please contact Brenda Weirick at 515-674-3503 or Christa Jensen at 515-674-3677 if you are interesting in being a part of this great event!

The May 2011 Colfax Main Street Volunteer of the Month award goes to Dickerson Mechanical and Amy Engle.

George and Kathy Dickerson and six staff members volunteered at the 2011 Downtown Clean Up. They also provided the use of two skid loaders, backhoe, truck and trailer. The combination of their man power and equipment was a tremendous help to make the Downtown Clean Up a success.

Amy Engle, who is new to the Design Committee, helped coordinate the Downtown Clean Up. She met with businesses, ordered supplies and much, much more. During Downtown Clean Up, she also recruited family members to help, volunteered from start to finish and brought a truckload of supplies.

Thank you to Dickerson Mechanical and Amy Engle for your outstanding efforts with Downtown Clean Up!

The Colfax Main Street Volunteer of the Month is chosen by the Colfax Main Street Organization Committee. To nominate a volunteer, please call 515.674.9071 or email colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com.