The Pony Express Roundup, September 6, is a day filled with history, family fun and live entertainment from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
From 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., children and families can enjoy Old-Fashioned Kids’ Games in Koester Park at the corner of South 9th and Elm Streets. Historic reenactor Rayma Volkmer will lead classics such as Blind Man’s Bluff, Pick Up Sticks and Hoop and Stick, giving today’s children a chance to play as youngsters did generations ago.
History will be on full display with hayrack rides and stagecoach rides connecting visitors to Marysville’s museums: the Koester House Museum and Gardens, the Marshall County Historic Courthouse, the Pony Express Barn and Museum and the Marysville Historic Union Pacific Depot.
Inside the courthouse, one room is dedicated and decorated as a nineteenth-century one-room schoolhouse. Here, historic reenactor Diedre Altic will serve as the schoolmarm, holding two full class sessions at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Guests will experience frontier education firsthand—reciting lessons, hearing the rules of the classroom and seeing how schooling shaped community life. With slates, chalk and period-appropriate furnishings, these sessions recreate prairie schooldays.
The Roundup also features live music by Geff Dawson and Western Journeys from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the Pony Express Barn and Museum.
At lunchtime, gather on South 8th Street, right by the Pony Express Barn and Museum, for a “Truckwagon Dinner” featuring local food trucks—Off My Rocker, Trin’s Cheesecakes N Treats, It’s A Sweet Treat Day Bakery and Bite My Barbecue—along with The Parlor, serving its signature homemade ice cream.
Diners can also enjoy free homemade pie, baked and served by the community’s church pie ladies. Tables and chairs will be set up downtown, offering a place to relax, eat and enjoy the atmosphere.
The Pony Express Roundup is a day that celebrates Marysville’s heritage while welcoming riders, families and visitors from across the region for one unforgettable community gathering.
