By Mike Orso
Additional space for more dairy cows represents just one of the new or different items you can expect to see and experience when taking part in this year’s Harvard Milk Days (HMDs). While some festival activities kicked off in May, main events start Wednesday, June 4 and run through Sunday, June 8 in the northern McHenry County community.
“What day do you want to come and if you can, how many days can you come?” said Mike Bannwolf, 74, co-chairman of HMDs, when asked why you and others should plan to attend. “We talked about the train bringing cows out years ago, now people get on the train and come out to Harvard from the suburbs and from the city.”
Since it started in 1942 to honor local dairy farmers, the event has been held in the town which imbeds it in its logo. Harvard publicizes it prominently year ‘round at a busy town intersection along with a pedestal-mounted fiberglass Holstein cow known as “Harmilda.”
“Back in the day, Harvard was considered the milk center of the world,” said area dairy farmer Brian Olbrich, 57, also a festival co-chairman. “We had four dairies right along the (railroad) tracks. There are still two of them that you can see.”
The community leaders tout a variety of musical and other entertainment as some of the new features for HMDs ’25, held in Milky Way Park, 300 Lawrence Rd., on the western edge of the town.
“We have two great bands, one on Friday night, which is The Beaux, a band that will be more classic rock. Then, on Sunday night, we have Wildwood, a country band,” said Bannwolf. “The attractions, we change those up every year, like our Aim High Canines group, and this other group “The Wheels of Agriculture” game show, that are going on continually during the three-day event.”
Skinner Amusements, founded in Crystal Lake and now based in Marengo, will provide the carnival midway, featuring 23 different rides. Wristbands can be purchased up until June 5 for specific Friday and Sunday unlimited ride time periods, with individual ride tickets available onsite. No fee exists to attend events or enter festival grounds, but there will be an $8/day fee to park onsite.
Olbrich’s family milks 130 registered Holstein and Jersey cows on a farm south of Harvard and has helped run the festival’s junior dairy show, available to participants ages 21 and under, for decades. He believes dairy show participants, their cows and visitors will benefit from the new barn space at Milky Way Park.
“The show over the last 5-6 years has really continued to grow, said Olbrich. “There had been a lot of years that if we had 40 head that was a lot. We hit 70 for a couple of years and then last year I think we had 82 entered in the show.”
Organizers also use the facility for onsite operations during the festival and for storage during other parts of the year.
“The barn kept filling up and we had people tying their animals to the trailers outside,” said Olbrich. “Now we have an addition.”
The expanded facility also provides refrigerated storage for part of the approximately 2,000 cartons of whole, 2% and chocolate Prairie Farms milk that will be given away for free during HMDs and used as part of a milk drinking contest.
“It’s all centered around the dairy industry and agriculture,” said Bannwolf. “We have roots there. It’s very important.”
While HMDs calls small rooms in the lower level of Harvard City Hall home during most of the year, it is a separate, non-profit organization. Bannwolf said its budget amounts to over $300,000 annually, with proceeds from the festival and sponsorships covering expenses.
“We hope to make a few dollars by the end of the event that we can invest back into the grounds, like we did with the barn,” he said. “That’s an important part of Milk Days because we are improving the park that can be used 360 days a year when we are not out there.”
Some event highlights include:
• Wednesday, June 4: Big Wheel Races at 6:00 p.m.; Bed Races at 7:00 p.m., downtown Harvard
• Thursday, June 5: Youth Parade, 6:15 p.m., downtown Harvard
• Friday, June 6: 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Farm Equipment Display; 5:00 p.m. Festival Grounds open, Milky Way Park, 300 Lawrence Rd., Harvard
• Saturday, June 7: 8:00 a.m., Milk Run/Walk, Jefferson School, Harvard; 9:00 a.m., Country Breakfast, Stratford Banquet Hall, Harvard; 1:00 p.m., Milk Days Parade, downtown Harvard; 2:00 p.m. Festival Grounds open, Milky Way Park; 4:00 p.m., Milk Drinking Contest, 5:00 p.m. Milking Contest, Milky Way Park
• Sunday, June 8: 10:00 a.m., Community Church Service; 12:00 p.m., Festival Grounds open, Junior Dairy Cattle Show; 10:00 p.m., Fireworks; Milky Way Park
For a complete schedule and for information on registering to participate in events, go to the HMD website at www.milkdays.com.
Harmilda (short for Harvard Milk Days or HMDs), the dairy cow statue in Harvard, Ill., peers over the shoulders of some of this year's festival organizers that include (left to right) Mike Bannwolf, Michele Bannwolf, Brian Olbrich. Most major Milk Day events take place June 4-8.
Brian Olbrich, Harvard Milk Days co-chair, shows the additional space provided by the new dairy barn addition that will be used for the first time in 2025. "Our goal this year is to try to only have three rows in the original barn and two rows in the new addition to give exhibitors more space plus give the public more access."