Just over a month remains until the Newton Chamber of Commerce’s annual Loose Caboose festival. The festival, featuring a car show, kids zone, live music and plenty of food and shopping, is set for March 28 in downtown Newton.
Newton Chamber director Emily Pugh said many of the festival’s most sought after attractions will be back again this year, and residents are encouraged to get out and enjoy the annual celebration.
“We’ll always have the Midway Carnival, the BankFirst Car Show and the Bank First 5K,” she said.
However, Pugh said, the chamber is always looking to improve, and this year several tweaks will be made to improve the experience for everyone.
“We’re going to have an enhanced kids zone this year,” she said.
Last year, the kids zone included face painting and inflatable bounce houses. This year, Pugh said, the Chamber is building on that by adding an exotic petting zoo and Wild West Raptors for children, and adults, to see and interact with.
“We’re also reaching out to our police department, fire department, ambulance service and the power companies to have a large equipment zone for kids to come check out and see what a lot of people in vocational industry does,” she said.
But expanding the kids zone isn’t the only change being made, Chamber President Don Vares said.
“We’re moving the main stage to Ray Payne Park at the corner of Main and Church streets,” he said.
In previous years, the Loose Caboose main stage has been located in the Newton Depot parking lot, Pugh said, and each year residents and visitors ask if the stage can be moved to a more central location. It took a few years to pull off, she said, but this year’s main stage will be right in the middle of the festival.
“I know a lot of vendors and community members have wanted the main stage to be moved, and so that’s a place that we’re able to move it and help promote the safety for our public,” she said.
Also, Pugh said, instead of a Friday night concert, festival goers will get to hear Nashville-based Michael Jacobs, a rock-and-roll/country musician, perform at Loose Caboose.
One final change, Pugh said, is to make Loose Caboose more accessible with the addition of handicap parking.
“We’re going to be having a handicap parking zone in the old hospital parking lot on South Main,” she said. “We will actually have a handicap shuttle that will be running during the festival for that day.”
Loose Caboose is a big undertaking, with more than 100 vendors and thousands of people, Pugh said. Organizing such an event takes a lot of work by a lot of people and a horde of volunteers.
“Volunteers are key to our festival,” she said. “We can’t do it without them.”
Pugh said volunteers are needed before and after the festival for setup and takedown, during the festival and all points in between. Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to message the Newton Chamber of Commerce on Facebook or call the chamber at 601-683-2201.
Loose Caboose also owes its success to the many vendors who take part in each year’s event. This year, Pugh said, spots are still available for arts and crafts vendors. The cost to become a vendor goes up March 1, so any interested vendors are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible.
“We definitely encourage all craft and product vendors to come and attend because that is what makes our festival,” Pugh said.
Loose Caboose is a free, family and pet friendly festival, Vares said, and all are invited to come take part in the fun.
“We just want to encourage everyone in the county and surrounding areas to come out for Loose Caboose,” he said. “It’s a fun time for everyone.”
