The 2026 Bell Tower Festival, with a patriotic theme of “High Time to Chime”, is expected to draw more than 4,000 visitors to Jefferson this weekend, June 11-13.
Under the leadership of festival chair Phil Heisterkamp, an energetic and visionary committee has planned the festival with long-time favorites and some new activities, too.
The festival kicks off Thursday with a community dinner on the square. The Greene County Cattlemen, Pork Producers and Lamb Producers will provide meat for the meal, with side dishes from Hy-Vee. Meals will be $10, $15, or $20, depending on which meat entree is chosen. The evening will include a foam party, inflatables, karaoke, bingo, and an apple bake-off. The brew station will open during the evening.
The Tower of Fame Award ceremony will take place Friday at 6:30 pm on the large stage. Ellie Brown, a 1961 Jefferson High School graduate and a national leader of the Patriotic Order of Does. A public reception will follow in the courthouse rotunda.
Carnival rides, vendor booths and the brew station will be open Friday evening.
Saturday starts with the traditional firemen’s breakfast at the fire station near the corner of N. Chestnut and E. Washington St, and Ding Dong Dash 5K race, which starts and ends at Greene County Community Center.
While the Bell Tower Festival parade, organized and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Jefferson, is the grand event of the festival, there’s a new twist this year – a costume pet parade. Pets and their owners (age 6-16 years old) will meet at Russell Park at 11 am. Judges will begin judging human/dog combos there. As the parade passes the park, contestants will join it and ‘march’ together to the large festival stage at the corner of Lincoln Way and Wilson. They’ll walk across the stage to show off their costumes one last time, and an overall winner will receive $50 and a doggie gift package.
The Bell Tower Festival parade will follow the same route as last year, forming at Greene County Middle School with the lead firetrucks starting their sirens at 11 am and heading north on Chestnut St to Lincoln Way. The parade will then head east on Lincoln Way until disbanding.
A new event, a hot dog eating contest, will be held at 3 pm, next to the Brew Station on Lincoln Way. First contestant to finish eating eight hotdogs wins. Other events Saturday will include a bags tournament, pickleball tournament, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a trivia contest, bingo with prizes, disc golf, sand volleyball, Big Wheel races, a car show and more.
The live music lineup features Taylor King Friday at 5 pm; The Sheet Friday at 8 pm; Dirt Road Divide Saturday at 5 pm; and PopRocks! at 9 pm.
Visit belltowerfestival.com for a complete schedule and more details.
