Kite Festival, Fall Sports and Trail Tours Keep MCRF Busy in September
Youth Soccer at the MCRF complex. (photo from MCRF social media)
The Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation is busy as the outdoor season comes to an end because of the return of the kite festival, fall sports, and guided trail rides.
MaKenzie Burk and Lindsey Holmberg from MCRF recently went to the studio of the Oskaloosa News to talk about the activities at the Lacey Recreation Complex and on the community recreation trail; their duties involve preparing the fields for games, supporting youth programs and assisting residents with exploring the local history.
There will be a forthcoming event which gives families a sufficient reason to come and visit the complex besides watching a ballgame.
The Oskaloosa Optimist Kite Festival’s second annual event will happen on Sunday, 27th September, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the soccer fields of the Lacey Recreation complex.
The event organised by the Oskaloosa Optimist Club will include professional kite flying, kite building, food trucks, concessions, and a kite vendor. Registration by the public and kite building will start at 11 a.m., after which the public will be able to fly kites from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. There will be demonstrations all day of professional sport kites and kite dancing.
Holmberg stated that the festival provides families with an opportunity to experience something which they do not often see in the community, allowing children to build and decorate their own kites while visitors are able to watch professionals fly much larger designs.
Burk remembered seeing a huge Spider-Man kite and some of the other large kites at the event last year, and a number of them could be seen by motorists driving on Iowa Highway 163.
To make way for the festival, MCRF will be taking the soccer goals off the fields. Burk stated that the organizers are hoping that the wind will be better this year since the light winds had prevented the flying during the first event.
If you would like information about the kite festival, you can contact RD Keep on 641-660-6310.
The event will take place during a busy weekend in Lacey, with Burk stating that a Perfect Game softball showcase is likely to attract teams from Iowa and the adjoining states comprising the 14-and-under through 18-and-under age groups.
Burk stated that it is now almost 10 years since Perfect Game last held an event in Oskaloosa and that the organizers are also planning to return in the spring.
There will also be a soccer tournament comprising 641 teams that weekend.
The events take place during a fall schedule which is already very active. Burk stated that the local baseball and softball teams keep on practicing at the complex all through the week. Fall ball offers extra games for teams in age groups ranging from 8-and-under to 18-and-under.
Oskaloosa Optimist Kite Festival 2026
She said that these games provided an opportunity for the players to gain more practice and to concentrate on the basic aspects of baseball and softball.
Youth soccer also ensures that the fields are occupied. Since the game days are different, Burk advised families to look at the schedules on MCRF’s website. She stated that the website has the access code required to view the schedules.
The fall duties of MCRF also involve getting the facilities ready for the football games of Oskaloosa High School and William Penn University.
According to Burk, the foundation’s maintenance staff aims to make sure the grounds are ready for use by athletes, bands, spectators and visiting teams, and the MCRF collaborates with both the school and the university athletic departments when arranging game days.
The foundation also offers young people the opportunity to take part in football programmes via YSF and the YMCA. According to Burk, it is still at the heart of the MCRF’s activities to provide places where children can stay active and participate safely.
Separate from the playing fields, MCRF is still maintaining its partnership with Full Bloom Brewhouse by providing trail tram tours and then serving lunch.
Later in the year, when outdoor activities have come to an end, Burk stated that the staff would devote more attention to planning for the following season. More announcements are due, although the details could not be made available during the interview.
