Marcus Larson/News-Register file photo##During last year’s Carlton Fun Days, Julia Kiser exchanges the tickets she won while playing the games for a pair of butterfly wands.

Fun planned in Carlton on June 26-27

CARLTON — While Carlton residents surely think every day is fun, they’ll go all-out to celebrate Fun Days on June 26 and 27.

The city’s annual festival draws locals, people who happen to be visiting the area and many former residents, including adults who grew up in Carlton and are bringing their own kids to enjoy the small-town atmosphere.

The 2015 Fun Days event will include all the original favorites — a grand parade, a stick-horse rodeo and free swims — and some new activities as well, including the rubber duckie race and, for the second year in a row, a beer garden.

Fun Days will kick off Friday, Jun 26, with a free swim in the outdoor pool from noon to 8 p.m. Other activities will start at 4 o’clock in the upper city park.

From 4 to 10:30 p.m., booths will offer food and souvenirs, a D.J. will play music and the beer garden will be open. The adults-only garden will be located on the basketball court.

From 8 to 10:30, the beer garden also will feature live music by Little Queenie.

Saturday will be a full day of fun.

Registration for the Fun Days fun run will start at 7 a.m. Runners and others can enjoy a pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Parade entries will gather at Yamhill-Carlton Elementary School. Cars, horses, bicycles and walkers will start out at 10 a.m., moving along Third, Washington and Fifth streets, then west on Main Street to the downtown area. An announcer downtown will describe the entries.

The upper park will open following the parade, with vendor booths along Grant Street and contests, games, a bouncy house and other activities on the grass. Entries in the Carlton photo contest will be on display from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The stick horse rodeo will run from noon to 1 p.m. A free swim will start at 1 o’clock.

The duck race will take place between 1 and 2 p.m. A catapult will launch the rubber ducks into the water.

Kids games will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Children can perform karaoke from 2 to 4 p.m. A photo booth will be set up so youngsters can take selfies.

Adults can sing karaoke from 4 to 8 o’clock.

The beer garden will be open again from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Two groups will provide live music for listening and dancing. Phoenix will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. The Usual Suspects will play from 8:30 to 10:30.

For parade entry or photo contest applications, go to the city website, www.ci.carlton.or.us.