This family festival will provide fun activities for all ages . There will be food available on site and area bands will create a fun and festive atmosphere providing music throughout the day and into the evening. There is a $5.00 entrance fee for folks who did not enter the canoe/kayak/paddleboard race and kids 12 and under are free.

7am – 11am	Pancake Breakfast at Coon Valley Veterans Memorial Legion
10am – 2pm	Live Music – Saner and Gibbons
3pm	Kids Duck Race!
2:30pm – 6:30pm	Live Music – Spunky Bumpkins
7:30pm – 11:30pm	Live Music – Ontourage

At the end of August in 2018, this area in western Wisconsin was devastated by flood waters. Homes and businesses were damaged and destroyed. The Coon Valley Veterans Memorial Park, home to festivals, family activities, local baseball teams and tournaments including the American Legion State Baseball Tournament, was in ruins. Some businesses were forced to permanently close their doors while others were compelled to close for several weeks.

The 2018 flood featured prominently in state news. Pictures and video depicting the destruction aired throughout the state and nation. The iconic footage of a bull, standing in the rushing waters of Coon Creek flowing over Highway 14, powerfully captures loss and devastation but also strength and resilience.

Video of King, the Bull during Flood

King, the bull, survived and was reunited with his owners, a local farm family. He is the inspiration for the Coon Creek Canoe Race. This is a compelling story of the strength and resilience of families, neighbors and organizations connecting to rebuild and improve the community. Several local organizations from two communities collaborated to produce the Coon Creek Canoe Race and Festival.

The Coon Creek Canoe Race is a two-pronged event: canoe race and a festival. The canoe race begins at the home of the bull, the Gilbeck Farm, in beautiful Timber Coulee, about five miles from Coon Valley. Buses and trailers will shuttle canoeists and canoes to the launch site. There are three race categories and a team of volunteers will launch canoes every two minutes. The route, a 3.8-mile course on scenic Coon Creek, follows the ride of the bull when swept away by the flooding creek. The race ends in the Coon Valley Veterans Memorial Park where the bull was found standing firm in the rushing waters. The race is fun for the whole family.