It is a big weekend in Okawville with the Wheat Festival tonight through Sunday. Roy Frederking, the Fair Board President, says the Wheat Festival Queen contest will be at 7 PM at the Dave Luechtefeld Gym tonight.  At the park, concessions open up at 5 o’clock and it will feature pork steaks, but they will have all the other great food you expect at the Festival.  The rides begin at 6 o’clock.  Music will be provided by J. Christopher, the most dangerous one-man band.  Frederking says that parking is free and the music is free.  There is a charge at the door for the Queen contest and there is a cost for the rides.  He added that the Corn Box is back this year for the kids and it is free.  The fun begins on Saturday at 11 AM, as the concession stands opens with a washer tournament beginning at 1 PM.  There will be young farmers activities then as well, and Ardy the Clown will be roaming around until 5 o’clock.  The antique tractor pull is at 2, as is the local talent show, where anyone can get on stage and entertain the crowd with their talent, whatever that may be.  This is not a competition.  The rides begin at 3 o’clock and the music begins with the Venedy Band at 4:30.  Later Hillbilly Authority will be on stage at 8 o’clock.  Bingo is sponsored by the American Legion and is on Saturday from 5 to 10 PM and from 4 to 9 PM on Sunday.  The concession stands open at 11 AM on Sunday, but the big event is the parade at 2 o’clock.  Frederking talks about the yearly favorite, which is their big thing, as it is one of the finest parades in the area and the committee works hard to make it that way.  It features just about every high school band in the area and the theme is “Date Night”, so they hope to have some night floats.  He says it’s a really enjoyable hour and a half parade.  The rides start up after the parade too.  Music is provided by the Okawville High School Band at 4 and Backroads takes the stage to finish the Festival from 6 to 9 PM.  Frederking says the large exhibit hall will be open at 2 PM on Saturday and then after the parade on Sunday and he explains that that is where the back to school kids bring their projects, there’s quilts, baking, canning, flowers, as well as farming and gardening produce.  This is all entries that are brought in Friday and Saturday to be judged.  The 2 big rooms are full of stuff and people need to come out and see the nice projects.  It is one of the biggest weekends in the Fall and it is happening in Okawville beginning tonight.