Iola’s own Gary Hawk is lending a hand to this year’s Farm-City Days celebration. Hawk, whose art has drawn global acclaim for more than half a century, allowed use of one of his paintings for the 2017 Farm-City Days button sales and medallion hunt. The buttons depict Hawk’s painting “Pickin’ A Winner,” showing a county fair judge closely eyeing a youngster’s Holstein, presumably at a county fair of some sort.
“We knew we wanted to have some sort of farm theme for this year’s button,” noted Aaron Franklin, Farm-City Days Committee chairman. “We’re honored to have Gary Hawk allow us to use one of his paintings. I’m not sure our younger residents realize just how big an influence Gary has been.”
The buttons sell for $2 apiece, and are needed to participate in the annual $1,000-to-win medallion hunt. The hunt will begin the week prior to festival, which runs Oct. 12-15.
To purchase a button, keep an eye on the Farm-City Days Facebook page.
This year’s Farm-City Days will feature many of the usual standards — parade, car show, music concerts, etc. — and will add a bike race, in conjunction with Velo+ and Bike Allen County.
Plans are to offer 40- and 72-mile gravel bike races, Franklin said.
