2012 Festival
Published June 21, 2011
Mark your calendar to attend on
Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13, 2012.
Autumn sets in on the banks of the Ohio River for a weekend of great food, festival rides, live music, Queen pageant and a festival parade that takes place in historic downtown Rising Sun, Indiana. It’s the kind of festival that takes you back to your childhood days of elephant ears, midway lights and children screaming on twirling rides. Grab your friends and stroll the waterfront while sampling a steaming bowl of our famous Rising Sun Navy Bean Soup and homemade cornbread.
Captain Buddy Bean
The 25th annual Rising Sun Navy Bean Festival has something for all ages!
Parade, Queen Pageant, Corn Hole Tournament, 5K Run/Walk, KidZone featuring free activites and shows, and an afternoon of Senior Fun.
All entertainment is free on the Festival Main Stage, the KidZone and Heritage Hall.
Admission to the festival is free with parking on the streets and in the lots located in downtown Rising Sun. For more information call 888-776-4786.
Just wondering WHEN the bean soup will be served? Friday or Saturday or BOTH? I work on Friday and am so hoping you’ll have it Saturday!
Look forward to comin’!
Bean soup will be served Friday 5-9pm and Saturday 11-6pm unless we run out early on Saturday (that is always a possibility). Thanks, Stephanie
This probably sounds too strange to be true, but it is! My father, Richard Lee Keith, was raised in Rising Sun back in the twenties and thirties. His father was Wesley Bunger Keith, the Sheriff of Ohio County. Grandpa Keith, and his wife Nellie were long time Rising Sun residents; both are buried there. My Dad and Mom lived for a time on the family farm out on Bascom Corner Road. Dad died earlier this year at the age of 84. He had lived a full life, serving Christ for most of his life as a Baptist minister. One of Dad’s last wishes was that he be cremated and his ashes brought back to the “old farm”.
We were trying to plan that trip to Rising Sun, when we learned about the Navy Bean Festival. We knew then that we just had to plan our trip to bring Dad home to coincide with the festival! (Dad’s favorite soup was Navy Bean – now we know why!) Our family is starting to gather starting around October 4, in Columbus. Through the week, as more family arrives, we’ll be traveling around, visiting our various hoosier relatives. On Saturday morning, we’ll gather at the “farm”, bringing Dad home. After that, we’ll be coming back to Rising Sun to join in the festivities and enjoy Navy Bean Soup in Dad’s honor. On behalf of this branch of the Keith family, we can’t wait to be with you on October 8! Many thanks to Rising Sun Fire Chief Kevin Armstrong for helping us make these vital “connections” in Rising Sun.
Mr. Keith,
I apologize for just getting back to you. Wow! What an honor for your father. Do you know if you are related to Bobby Jo Keith? He is the County Assessor and a good, family friend. We look forward to seeing you and your family. Please stop by the Bean Tent for some bean soup and to say hello! I am going to copy your email and send it to the other Navy Bean Festival Committee members to share your story. I also know Kevin Armstrong. He is a good guy and a wonderful community volunteer. I hope your family will enjoy their visit to Rising Sun. Look me up and I will get you a festival T-Shirt for sharing your story. Thanks again, Stephanie Scott, Media and Bean Tent Chair
PS. I look forward to meeting you. I have lived all my life in Rising Sun. Im glad you will be here during the festival as the trees are changing colors and beautiful! I am sure my grandparents knew your Grandfather. Stephanie
Is the parade Saturday? if so, what time.
Saturday at 10:30AM. Thanks, Mary
Do you have certain areas for motorcycle parking? There will be a group of us coming to the festival on our bikes.
We are looking forward to the festival, sounds like alot of fun, and can’t wait to taste the navy bean soup…
All available parking is on the street and in parking lots in the downtown area. If you are coming into Rising Sun from Hwy 56 from Aurora: go to Fourth Street and turn left. There is parking in the City Adminstration Building parking lot or you can go toward the river and there is parking in the lot behind the Courtyard Restaurant. If coming from Vevay: stay on Hwy 56 as you enter town to Fourth Street. Turn right to enter the City Administration Building parking lot or continue to the river to the parking behind the Courtyard Restaurant. All parking is free.
PS. We look forward to having you at our festival. The bean soup is amazing! Thanks. Stephanie
Military from the base at Wright Patterson in Dayton planning a trip on to the festival early afternoon Friday, so opening time is 5PM on Friday or is that just when the soup will be reday and served? In other words what time on Friday will vendors etc be ready and open for visitors? It will be our groups first trip
Soup will be ready to serve at 5:00PM and the festival will open at 5:00pm. So glad you are all coming. Stephanie