City gears up for 2021 Teapot Days celebration

Summer weather has made its way into the area just in time for Teapot Days. With the event canceled last year due to COVID-19, the community is ready to celebrate the 2021 Teapot Days. Events are planned from Wednesday to Saturday and there is sure to be something for the whole family to enjoy.

Beginning on Wednesday, June 16 the festivities will kick off with a CommuniTEA BBQ at Trinity Lutheran Church. The event is hosted by the church. Food will be served from 5:30 to 7 p.m. There is no charge for the event. The church is located at 335 W. 1st St. The Bloodmobile will also be onsite for the evening, accepting donations from 4 to 7 p.m.

On Thursday, June 17, the Mighty Thomas Carnival will open at 5 p.m. on Brian St., next to the Tea Park. The Carnival will remain open until 10 p.m. At 7 p.m. at the Tea Community Hall, 200 W. Maple St., Ma and Pa Teapot will be crowned. See a full story on Ma and Pa Teapot on this page below.

The Mighty Thomas Carnival will open at noon on Friday, June 18 and will be open until 10 p.m.

Also on Friday, register your hot rod and motorcycle for the TeaFest Hot Rod & Motorcycle Show & Shine. Registration will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Tea Athletic Complex, 315 E. 1st St. There is a $15 registration fee which includes a free t-shirt. The event is open to the public from 6 to 9 p.m. Food, drinks and music will be available. Admission is free for this event.

At 6:30 p.m. on Friday you can register your kids, ages 3 to 11, for the free Kids Pedal Pull at the Tea Park Picnic Shelter, 105 E. Brian Street. Pulling starts at 7 p.m.

Also on Friday night the Tea Steak House/O’Tooles Bar will host a Street Dance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on 205 S. Main Ave. Music will be provided by the popular band Driven. This event is for ages 18 and up.

The fun continues on Saturday, June 19, opening with the Tea Historical Society Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 9:30 a.m. at the Tea Community Hall, 200 W. Maple St. A freewill donation for the breakfast will benefit the Tea Veterans Memorial.

The Junior Achievement 5K Bacon Run will begin with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. (Registration is at 8 a.m.) The event will begin at the Tea Athletic Complex, 315 E. 1st Street. The cost is $35 to run in the event and $20 to walk.

What’s a celebration without a parade? The 2021 Teapot Day Parade is set to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Participants are asked to line up at Tea Area High School, 500 W. Brian Street from 8 to 9:45 a.m. The parade route will begin at the High School, move east on Brian Street, north on Cole Ave, east on St. Nicholas Street, south on Main Ave., west on Charish Street and north on Cole Ave. The parade Marshall this year will be Ralph Flohrs. Flohrs was born and raised in rural Trimont, MN. He served in the Army as Combat Engineer from 1968 to 1969. Ralph served 14 months in Vietnam with the 7th Engineers with 5th Infantry Division. He married Cindi on Dec. 19, 1969. He then went to vocational school for Diesel Mechanics and worked for Cenex Seed in Ellis for 24 years. He started his own repair shop in Tea, Ralph’s Repair, which Ralph recently retired from at the age of 71. He served the Tea community in auto and small engine repair for 25 years. The couple have two children: Dan Flohrs of Boulder, CO and Beth Worthing of Fort Scott, KS. They have eight grandchildren.

Following the parade, the Tea Museum, located next to the Tea Community Hall, 200 W. Maple St., will be open until 7 p.m. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the museum, now is a great time for a visit.

Also following the parade, everyone is encouraged to head down to the Tea Park, 105 E. Brian Street, for food and craft vendors. Craft vendors will be available until 4 p.m.; food vendors until 10 p.m. The Beer Garden opens after the parade and will remain open until 10:30 p.m. No outside coolers will be allowed in the City Park.

The Mighty Thomas Carnival will open at noon on Saturday and will be open until 10 p.m.

If you work up an appetite during the day, a Pie and Ice Cream social can be found at the Tea Community Hall with serving from 3 to 7 p.m. This event is sponsored by Trinity Lutheran WELCA. The Tea Lions Pork Feed will take place at the Tea Community Hall as well. They will serve from 5 to 7 p.m.

There will be free Music in the Park featuring DNR from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Guilty Pleasure Orchestra from 7 to 10 p.m.

Sky Lounge will be hosting Saturday’s street dance at 200 S. Main Street. This event is for ages 18 and up. Check Sky Lounge’s Facebook page for details.

At approximately 10 p.m. the annual fireworks will be the climax of the day at the east end of the Tea City Park.