Ashley Hawk drives a tractor in the Harrod Pork Rind Festival parade Saturday.
Charlotte Caldwell | The Lima News
HARROD — It was a full day Saturday in Harrod as the Pork Rind Festival featured a parade, a record number of cars at the car show and many activities for kids.
The Cruise-In Car Show’s 145 participants could be seen lining the sides of every street and included everything from motorcycles to both classic and newer model cars and trucks. Festival staff said the previous record of participants in the car show was 88.
The third annual Pork Rind Princess Pageant for grade levels K-5 had 11 contestants who participated in a group dance, a talent portion and an on-stage question. Participants’ talents included weight lifting, tumbling, wrestling, sign language, singing, dancing and playing the violin. Destiny Fiebelkorn received the Judges’ Award for her performance of American Sign Language; Winnie Fiebelkorn received the Little Miss title; Maddelaine Humes won second-runner-up in the Junior category; Kaylee Hawk won first-runner-up in the junior category; and Brooklyn Brenneman received the Junior Miss title.
Kids could then participate in a watermelon-eating contest where they ate a slice from a full watermelon without their hands. Halynn Hawk won in the 6-8 age group; Savannah Wilson won in the 9-11 age group; and Caden Hawk won in the 12-15 age group. Around the same time was the kiddie tractor pull.
Local vendors also participated in the craft show, including Mel Chandler, of Lima, the owner of a home bakery called Miss Mel’s Bakery. This was her second year participating in the festival and she had 15 flavors of macarons to choose from along with cookies. Chandler started her business in 2020 with her great-great grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe and she started making macarons in 2021, the latter of which is now her main focus.
Reach Charlotte Caldwell at 567-242-0451.
