In 1927, Edwin Perkins invented Kool-Aid in Hastings, Nebraska. The six
original flavors were strawberry, cherry, lemon-lime, grape, orange and
raspberry (Mr. Perkins’ favorite). Kool-Aid was produced at 506-508
West 1st Street in Downtown Hastings, across from Burlington Station.
Perkins Products were manufactured there until January of 1931. Nearly
80 years later, Kraft Foods owns Kool-Aid. Over 500 million gallons are
consumed each year worldwide by “kids” of all ages!
More than 30 events take place during the three days of Kool-Aid Days. Almost every one of those events has its own page on our website with oodles of information, photos, videos, and downloadable entry forms and rules. Just click on "Event Schedule and Details" above to drop down a menu of the days of Kool-Aid Days. Click on each day to drop down a menu of the events for that day and click on the event that interests you. Or, you can click here for a full schedule overview in table form. There are over 100 pages on the Kool-Aid Days website. Stay awhile and explore the festival with us!
No Better Cause to Headline Kool-Aid Days Downtown Mainstage
Each year in August, the Downtown Mainstage at Kool-Aid Days features some of the finest up-and-coming talent in the state of Nebraska. 2009 will be no exception when at 2 pm. on Saturday, August 15th, the a capella group, No Better Cause, headlines the Mainstage lineup of performers.
NO BETTER CAUSEis an award winning pop/soul/funk vocal band hailing
from Lincoln, Nebraska. Their jaw-dropping
performances and the innovative quality of their music has put
them on a national platform since their humble beginnings in 2002. With
a unique assortment of original songs and uniquely arranged
covers, No Better Cause will deliver a show for "kids of ALL ages" to appreciate and enjoy, with a unique mix of rock, pop, funk,
soul, jazz and gospel ... and it's all done using NOTHING but
their voices!
Whether it's the rumbling resonance of the bass, the spectacularly
soaring high tenors, or the bold beatboxing of the incredible vocal
percussion, No Better Cause is sure to catch your eyes and ears, as
each unique component of this seasoned a cappella sensation works
together to make their harmonized sound a sonic movement. The group's rapid rise to success shows that No Better Cause is sure to be
mentioned among the a cappella elite.
Performances on the Downtown Mainstage begin immediately after the
Kool-Aid Days Grand Parade, with the opening ceremonies at 10 am,
followed by a performance of selections from The Wizard of Oz by the
cast of the upcoming production by Hastings Community Theatre at the
Masonic Center, directed by Donna Hastings. The Downtown Mainstage
will be located outside Hastings City Auditorium at the intersection of
Hastings Avenue and 5th Street, adjoining the World's Largest Kool-Aid
Stand.
The Maverick Band returns to the Kool-Aid Days' Downtown Mainstage after their popular
performance last year. With membership open to all band musicians in
the Nebraska/Kansas region who can play and sight-read concert band
music, thousands of musicians have played with the band at one time or
another over the last 58 years.
The group’s standard repertoire
includes military and circus marches, but has expanded over the years
to include a variety of popular and other music styles, creating a
delightful outdoor concert experience for all listeners. Guest musicians are welcome to sit in.
The band received its name from an Omaha World Herald feature writer, Tom Allan, who upon hearing the band had no sponsor and no headquarters, labeled the group “maverick”, like a range animal whose ownership and ancestry are in doubt. In recent years, band members have ranged in age from eighth graders to
experienced players in their early nineties.
As in previous years, finalists from the Kwickest Kool-Aid Drinking
Contest will compete on the Downtown Mainstage at 3 pm, guzzling down
cups of Kool-Aid as fast as they can, with the winners taking home
airline tickets and other valuable prizes. The preliminary rounds of
the Drinking Contest will be held in Auditorium Park (east of Hastings
City Auditorium) on the festival's new "Second Stage," starting at 10
am on Saturday.
Kool-Aid
Days is still seeking local performers to entertain audiences on the
Downtown Mainstage in the late morning and late afternoon. Artists
interested in performing should contact Meggan Goebel at (402) 460–8771
or
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.
Calling All Kardboard Boat Builders & Mariners
Now in their fourth year, the Kool-Aid Kardboard Boat Races are a
featured event of Kool-Aid Days, and will be held on Lake Hastings
Sunday afternoon, August 16th. Trophies will be awarded in many
categories, including speed in a number of age classes, best design,
best Kool-Aid Days theme (Feelin' Groovy), and even “Most Spectacular
Sinking.” Individuals, ages 7 and up, and teams from the general
public and businesses are encouraged to enter.
Cardboard boat races
have been held around the country for decades, and we’re quickly rising
to join those with the most interesting boats. Rules and entry forms for the Kardboard Boat
Races can be downloaded by clicking here or printed
copies are available at the Hastings Public Library, the Hastings Area
Chamber of Commerce, and the Adams County Visitors Center.
To view a video of the 2006 Kool-Aid Kardboard Boat Races, click here!
Nebraska’s Official Soft Drink Heritage Foundation will present the critically acclaimed Yesterday and Today: A Tribute to the Music of The Beatlesas the fourth annual Koncert Kool-Aid.
Previous Koncert Kool-Aid's have featured folk legends, Richie Havens
and Judy Collins, and last year, Rave On! The Buddy Holly Experience.Yesterday and Today stars Billy McGuigan, the same creative genius who roused last year's Koncert Kool-Aid audiences as Buddy Holly in Rave On! The concert will take place on the Saturday evening
of Kool-Aid Days, August 15th, during the second full weekend of August at
Brickyard Park Amphitheatre in Hastings, Nebraska. As usual, the evening will be topped off
by a large fireworks display. "Even though we were forced to move the concert inside last year, those who were lucky enough to hear Billy as Buddy Holly were blown away by his performance," said Randal Kottwitz, Kool-Aid Days Executive
Producer. "I went to see a performance of Yesterday and Today myself to make sure that Billy and his brothers do as well by The Beatles as he did by Buddy Holly. I immediately knew we had to bring this moving, fun and personalized musical tribute to a larger Koncert Kool-Aid audience at Brickyard Park."
Click
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to request your favorite Beatles song. Be sure to tell us your name and the reason
you'd like Billy McGuigan and his brothers to perform this song as part of Yesterday and Today.
PLEASE only request songs if you intend to come to Koncert Kool-Aid.
We like to include the personal experiences of people in our audience
to make the evening as much fun as possible for everyone there.
Press the HQ button after the video starts playing if you have a fast internet connection for better picture. We also recommend that you watch some of the other videos that scroll across the bottom of the window after this video finishes playing to see more excerpts from Yesterday and Today.
