Dearborn Homecoming Festival facts for kids

The Dearborn Homecoming festival is a super fun yearly event in Dearborn, Michigan. It started way back in 1980! This three-day festival happens at Ford Field Park. It's close to Divine Child High School, Edsel Ford High School, and Dearborn High School. People love coming for family reunions, exciting carnival rides, cool history shows, and a giant fireworks display.

About the Festival

The Dearborn Homecoming festival usually runs for three days. This means it's on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Most of the fun starts around eleven in the morning. It keeps going for twelve hours, until late at night!

The festival celebrated its 30th birthday in 2009. A group called the Detroit Medical Center helped sponsor that big party. A few years later, in 2020, the festival had to take a break. This was because of a worldwide health event. But it's back now for everyone to enjoy!

Awesome Entertainment

The Dearborn Homecoming always brings in great performers. In 2007, for its 28th anniversary, KC and the Sunshine Band played! About 150,000 people came to the festival that year.

In 2008, Eddie Money performed. Radio Disney, a fun show with music and games for kids, also joined in. The stage was packed in 2009. Larry and the Back in the Day Band started the show. Around 20,000 to 25,000 people were there!

The famous singer Rick Springfield was the main act on August 8, 2009. He sang popular songs like "Jet by Wings" and "Don't Talk to Strangers." On the last day of the festival in 2009, rain stopped the fireworks. The concert also had to be moved. Both the concert and fireworks happened later, on September 3. The band Fifty Amp Fuse played before the fireworks show.

Yummy Food Booths

The Dearborn Homecoming festival has lots of delicious food! There are usually thirty-four different food booths to choose from.

You can find an Italian booth with classic favorites. They serve tasty meatballs, pizza, and mostaccioli. The Polish tent offers stuffed cabbage. They also have a free pancake breakfast for families who need it.

Fun for Everyone

The festival has activities for all ages!

Elderfest for Seniors

The Elderfest is a special part of the Dearborn Homecoming. It's free and made just for senior citizens. It starts early, at eight in the morning. It finishes around two in the afternoon. This event takes place in the Polish tent.

Activities include a fun walk and a free breakfast. There's also bingo, live music, and even a waltz dance. Oakwood Healthcare System also offers free blood pressure checks.

Exciting Rides and Cars

A huge part of the festival is the carnival! It has twenty-six different rides. The carnival usually opens at eleven in the morning. Some popular rides are the Berry-Go-Round, Dragon Wagon, and Giant Slide. You can also ride the Crazy Submarine, Ring of Fire, and Tilt-A-While.

Another big attraction is a car cruise. The Dearborn Chamber of Commerce hosts this event. About one hundred and fifty cool cars join the parade. These cars were all made between 1950 and 1980. The parade starts near the 19th District Court. It cruises through West Dearborn. Then it ends up at Ford Field for the homecoming celebration.

History and Games

There's also an event called Living History Hill. People from the Dearborn Historical Museum put it on. The University of Michigan Dearborn helps sponsor it. This historical area shows what life was like long ago. You can see frontier-style kitchens and blacksmiths. There are also photographers and people dressed in old-fashioned clothes. You might even spot some old Model T cars!

The popular children's TV channel Nickelodeon provides entertainment on Sunday. On Saturdays, there's a fishing derby at the pond at Ford Field. The Dearborn Rotary Club sponsors this fun event.

If you like sports, check out the tennis courts. You can find fun courses and basketball games there. These are great for young people. In 2009, a new event was added: a Guitar Hero contest! You needed to pay a small fee to enter. It happened on both Saturday and Sunday.