RLC to host first Warrior Fest on Oct. 18 with car show, flea market, children’s activities

 

INA, Ill. – The whole family is invited to spend the day at Rend Lake College for the first Warrior Fest this fall. The event, scheduled for Oct. 18, will feature a car show, flea market, and tons of children’s events across the Ina campus.

Flea Market

To kick off the day’s activities at 9 a.m. will be the flea market. Craft and flea market vendors are welcome to register for the event, which will be held in the west parking lot on the Ina campus. Registration forms will be available online Aug. 1 and can also be picked up at the RLC MarketPlace in Mt. Vernon.

Spots at the flea market are $10 each for a 12-by-12 foot space. The flea market will end at 3 p.m. For more information about the flea market, contact Whitney Chaudoin at 618-244-9525, Ext. 2000 or chaudoinw@rlc.edu.

Children’s Activities

Headlining the children’s activities will be the annual Big Truck Day, hosted by the RLC Foundation Children’s Center in the west parking lot.

The event is being held from 9 a.m. until noon and will feature an open house, a petting zoo with the Franklin County Ag in the Classroom representative, several inflatables, and many big trucks. Center Director Brooke May said they already have a number of big trucks, heavy equipment, and machinery committed to the event, and more are expected to be on hand.

“We are really excited about this year’s Big Truck Day and being a part of Warrior Fest,” said May. “The amount of people who will be here will be incredible and we can’t wait to show off our Children’s Center. This is a hands-on experience, so we encourage the children to talk to the drivers or operators of the equipment and climb up to see what it is really like inside the machines.”

During Big Truck Day, parents will also have a great opportunity to meet the center’s teachers and staff, and pre-register for child care in the spring. A silent auction will fill the hallways of the Children’s Center to raise money for new playground equipment, and door prizes will be available for those in attendance. The RLCF Children’s Center has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children for more than a decade.

For additional information about the children’s events or Big Truck Day, contact May at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1393 or mayb@rlc.edu.

Car Show

The last big event, the car show, will begin at 10 a.m. in the east parking lot. Registration for the show costs $10 and will be done the morning of the event. Dash plaques will also be available for the first 125 participants.

The official judging of the cars will begin at 11 a.m. and participants will be eligible to win one of several awards: Best of Show, President’s Choice, Best Car, Best Truck, Best Ford, Best Mopar, Best GM, Best Paint, Best Motor, Best Interior, Most Original, Top 10 from 1982 and newer and Top 20 from 1981 and older. Photos of the car and owners will be taken by RLC between noon and 2 p.m.

Trophy presentations will begin at 2 p.m. in Warrior Way underneath the Academic Building. In addition to trophies, there will also be door prizes and event T-shirts for $10. Hot Rod Nights will emcee the show.

For more information about the car show, contact Nigel Thompson at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1806 or thompson@rlc.edu.

Other Activities

The fall-themed event will also feature hay rides, video gaming, hand and chair massages by the RLC Therapeutic Massage and Cosmetology programs, food and beverages provided by RLC Culinary Arts, and much more. More details about Warrior Fest will be provided soon.

For more information about Warrior Fest, contact Erin Morris at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1714 or morrise@rlc.edu.