Hull will welcome residents and visitors for four days of food, entertainment and community fundraising when Hull SummerFest begins Thursday, July 16.
The celebration continues through Sunday, July 19, with activities ranging from an outdoor movie and car show to Northwest Iowa’s Biggest Candy Parade, a carnival, street dance and community worship service. Hull Area Chamber Executive Director Jess Wheeler and volunteer Christiana Westra previewed the weekend on Sioux County Radio’s Daily Grind.
Celebration Opens Thursday
SummerFest begins Thursday evening at Eastside Park with a free watermelon feed from 5:30 to 6:30, followed by comedian and hypnotist Jesse Moffitt from 6 to 8. An outdoor showing of Lilo & Stitch begins at 8.
Organizers clarified that all three Thursday activities will take place at Eastside Park, despite the watermelon feed being listed at Westside Park on the original event flyer.
Friday includes the Hull Area Chamber golf outing at Rolling Hills Country Club, the firemen’s feed at the Hull Safety Complex, the Cruise In and Legends of Horsepower car show, inflatables, dessert food trucks, Mr. Twister and mud volleyball. Boyden-Hull Summer Theatre will also present Hairy Tale Rock Friday evening at Boyden-Hull High School.
Wheeler says the Chamber works with sponsors and community organizations to keep activities affordable while supporting groups in Hull.
“We try to make everything free. And one thing that we want to know is, all the groups that we have that run our different activities, we try to make sure that everything is going back into our community. So whether it’s Boyden-Hull FFA running our pedal pull, the Chamber tries to make sure they get a great donation for volunteering. So like I said, we just want to reiterate everything goes back into our community, and we are really appreciative of our sponsors and everyone who comes out and supports Hull SummerFest.”
New Family Walk Benefits Hull EMS
Saturday begins with the Hull EMS 5K and a new one-mile family walk at Ignite Gym and Fitness. Registration opens at 7 a.m., with the race and walk beginning at 7:30.
The family walk was added after organizers heard from people who wanted a shorter option that would be easier to complete with young children, strollers, or dogs. Hull EMS member Adam Vander Stoep says its partnership with Ignite is intended to make the event welcoming to people at different fitness levels.
“Once you start feeling confident, even if you’re a novice or beginning at something, that feeling of confidence is really contagious. So if they can, at Ignite, help people feel like, ‘We’ll get you on the road to confidence,’ then we’ll help you maybe do something you never thought you could do before, which is run or run-walk a 5K.”
Registration is $30 for either the 5K or the one-mile walk. Participants receive a shirt, finisher medal, and other items and will be eligible for several prize drawings. Registration is available through RunSignup by searching for “Hull Ambulance 5K,” and organizers will also accept registrations Saturday morning.
Proceeds support Hull EMS equipment and training. Vander Stoep says the department recently received a new ambulance, but must continually replace aging equipment—including defibrillators that can cost around $100,000.
“When people sign up for the event, when they give that money to this, they’re essentially saying, ‘We want to make sure our community has access to high-quality first responder care in that kind of equipment.’ So things are always getting outdated. Things are always wearing down. And an event like this, it feels more like a partnership than a program—that we’re actually inviting the people in the community to be a part of contributing toward high-quality first responder care.”
Saturday Activities Fill Westside Park
The American Legion pancake breakfast will also begin at 7 Saturday morning, followed by Northwest Iowa’s Biggest Candy Parade at 10 on Main Street.
Activities move to Westside Park following the parade. More than 20 vendors are expected for the craft and vendor show, joining the carnival, inflatables, food trucks and children’s pedal pull.
Westra says the vendor show will emphasize locally made products, including baked goods, sourdough bread, wooden flowers, jewelry, painted rocks, and other handmade items.
First Barbecue Competition Supports Bright Start
One of Saturday’s new events is the first Hull SummerFest Tailgate and Barbecue Competition, organized by Old Parlor Meat Company. Judging and public taste-testing will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. at Westside Park.
Teams can compete in appetizer or side dish, main dish, and dessert categories, with the public selecting the winners. The first-place team in each category will receive $450, while second place will receive $300. An overall winner will also receive a traveling “Best Bite” trophy.
Old Parlor owner Curt Van Grouw says the competition is not limited to experienced barbecue teams.
“It doesn’t have to be a professional team. We’re looking for local businesses and friend groups and church groups and anything from around town. Put a team together and kind of come together and have a good time. Basically, what it’s going to be, it’s going to be all people’s choice.”
The competition will benefit Bright Start Daycare and Preschool. Bright Start recently doubled its classroom space and now serves about 90 children, ranging from infants to children who have completed first grade. The facility is already full and has a waiting list, and proceeds will help pay expenses from the completed expansion.
Taste-testing is limited to 200 participants. Wristbands cost $25 each or $20 each when purchasing four or more. They are available at American State Bank, Iowa State Bank, and D&K Door in Hull, as well as Old Parlor Meat Company in Rock Valley.
Saturday concludes with the SummerFest Street Dance from 9 p.m. to midnight. Soul Root will perform, with gates opening at 8:30. Admission is $20, and attendees must be 18 or older.
SummerFest concludes Sunday with a community worship service at 10 a.m. at Hesla Field. The service will move to Western Christian High School in the event of rain.
Listen to the full Daily Grind interviews about SummerFest, the Hull EMS 5K and family walk, the barbecue competition, and the Boyden-Hull Summer Theatre production.
Find the full schedule of events and more at HullChamber.org/summerfest.
Hull SummerFest Schedule
Thursday, July 16
5:30–6:30 pm: Watermelon feed — Eastside Park
6–8 pm: Comedian and hypnotist Jesse Moffitt — Eastside Park
8–10:30 pm: Movie night featuring Lilo & Stitch — Eastside Park
Friday, July 17
All day: Hull Area Chamber Golf Outing — Rolling Hills Country Club
5–7 pm: Firemen’s Feed — Hull Safety Complex
5–8 pm: Cruise In — Main Street
5–8 pm: Legends of Horsepower Car Show — Hull FRC parking lot
5:30–6:30 pm: Bonestroo Standard Station and Museum open — 909 Division Street
6–8 pm: Mr. Twister — Hull FRC parking lot
6–8 pm: Dessert food trucks and inflatables — Hull FRC parking lot
7–10 pm: Mud volleyball — Agropur grass area
7–9:30 pm: Hairy Tale Rock — Boyden-Hull High School
Saturday, July 18
7–7:15 am: Hull EMS 5K and family walk registration — Ignite Gym and Fitness
7–9 am: American Legion pancake breakfast — Westside Park shelter house
7:30–9:30 am: Hull EMS 5K and one-mile family walk — Ignite Gym and Fitness
10 am: Northwest Iowa’s Biggest Candy Parade — Main Street
11 am–3 pm: Hull Historical Museum open — Main Street
11 am–3 pm: Craft and vendor show — Westside Park
11:30 am–1:30 pm: Children’s pedal pull — Westside Park
11:30 am–2 p.m.: Bonestroo Standard Station and Museum open — 909 Division Street
11:30 am–3 pm: Carnival, inflatables and food trucks — Westside Park
3–5 pm: Hairy Tale Rock — Boyden-Hull High School
4–7 pm: SummerFest Tailgate and Barbecue Competition — Westside Park
9 pm–midnight: SummerFest Street Dance — Downtown Hull; gates open at 8:30
Sunday, July 19
10 am: Community worship service — Hesla Field
Rain location: Western Christian High School
