Blueberry Festival wraps up long weekend, but the tradition continues 

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind. -- The Blueberry Festival in Marshall County ended Monday. On the last day the parade takes place in the morning right after the stomp race.

The parade is one of the biggest events across the four-day festival and for Kari Vancza, the Parade Chair and Marshal, she's had the opportunity to visit and partake in the festival for many years. 

Vancza said, “I have been doing this for seven years. We have, on average, about 100 units that come through every year. It changes up a little bit, but, you know, kind of stays the same."

Vancza’s history with Blueberry Festival goes back way before she became the Parade Marshal. She started participating when she was a child. She says, “It's surreal. I mean, I marched in the band every year as a rocket or as a band member, and now it's, you know, I see what goes on behind the scenes. I think that's nostalgic. It's nice. I like it, and I get a little weepy.”

Now as the Parade Marshal, Vancza puts in many hours of work ahead of the parade. She explains, “I have not been to bed yet, and that's usually how it is, though I'm too excited to sleep.”  

She says out of the 59 years that the festival has happened, she has only missed a handful of them. 

Some event organizers will begin prep for the next year starting as soon as Tuesday.