Each year the Brad Wallin Memorial Tournament is held at baseball diamonds in and around the Chillicothe/Peoria area in memory of Chillicothe resident Brad Wallin who died of cancer at age 11 in 2004. In 2022, the Tournament hosted over 355 teams from around the Midwest. All funds raised from the Tournament go to support St. Jude kids. (For more information about this long-running baseball tournament, visit bradwallintourney.com).

In the winter of 2019-20, Sherry Adams and I were brainstorming. We wanted to create an event that would be a fundraiser for the Optimist Club, showcase our community, and help our businesses in our area. What better time than that weekend—the event hands out over 8,000 programs and we show the Brad Wallin story all weekend at the Town Theatre. (If you have not seen the movie, plan this year to see it) What better time to showcase our town—we planned good food, crafter/vendors, entertainment, bake sale, and so much more. Then in March 2020, the world stopped. 

We tabled our event until 2021 and our first event was successful and then again in 2022. Now we are gearing up for 2023 and hope you can join us. The 3rd Annual Home Run Festival will be held on Saturday, June 3rd, in City Park by the Chillicothe Optimist Club.

While the Home Run Festival is a separate event from the Brad Wallin Memorial Tournament, it is held at the same time to complement the Tournament, and to show off our great city of Chillicothe to the hundreds of people that accompany the baseball teams. In addition, net proceeds from the Home Run Festival activities will be donated to St. Jude.

Events for 2023 will include: 

• Crafters, vendors, bake sale, 50/50 drawing, plant sale, and semi-truck show, 
• Entertainment on the stage in City Park includes bands, line dancers, and youth dancers from local studios. 
• There will be a band that evening around town, watch for our schedule.
• Food in the park by Webb’s Cruisin USA
• The movie, “Safe at Home,” will play continuously at the Town Theatre that day. It tells the story of Brad Wallin, his courageous fight against cancer, and his legacy.

In addition to raising money for St. Jude, we are hopeful that the Home Run Festival will provide a showcase opportunity for our hometown merchants and what Chillicothe has to offer anyone coming into our town. Several shops in town will be offering bargains that weekend and participating in our baseball scavenger hunt. If you or your business would like to participate, please contact me. Containers to “round up” for St. Jude will be placed among the merchants for people to donate their change. If you are a business, we hope you will be willing to put a container on your counter.

If you would like more information about the festival or would like to volunteer your help, you can contact me at 309-360-0445. We want the Home Run Festival to be a home run for all.