Bristol Homecoming Festival brings another year of family fun

BRISTOL, Ind. -- Hundreds of residents gathered Saturday as the Bristol Homecoming Festival wrapped up another year of rides, food, music and fireworks, continuing a tradition that has brought the community together for more than a century.

The festival, held at Congdon Park, started its final day of celebrations on Saturday evening with a parade before families spread throughout the grounds to enjoy carnival rides, games and local vendors.

Walker Brigham, who participated in the parade with his taekwondo group, said he was excited to spend the rest of the evening enjoying the festival.

"I did the parade for taekwondo, and we came here to just do some rides and stuff," Brigham said.

For many children, the carnival rides were the highlight of the day.

"My favorite part has to be the rocket ship," Giuseppe Olvera said. "It goes down and up and down real fast. I could barely move anything."

When asked if the ride scared him, Olvera smiled.

"I like it," he said. "I'm braver now."

The Bristol Homecoming Festival dates back to 1883, making it one of Indiana's longest-running festivals.

While the event has evolved over the decades, the focus has remained the same. It’s all about bringing the community together.

"The best part is that you can see friends and family here that you haven't seen in a long time," Kylie Howard said. "I'm so glad that Bristol did this for the park."

As this year's Homecoming Festival comes to a close, residents won't have to wait long for another summer tradition. The Elkhart County 4-H Fair is scheduled to begin July 24.