Jan Jensen. (U-I photo)
Iowa assistant basketball coach Jan Jensen — a graduate of Elk Horn-Kimballton High School — will be the grand marshal of Saturday’s Tivoli Fest parade in Elk Horn.
Stan Jens, a former Elk Horn mayor, is chair of the committee organizing the annual event that celebrates the Danish heritage of the villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton.
“That’s brought a lot of excitement,” Jens says. “Several of the committee members have talked to different people, just friends and stuff who don’t live around here that are coming just because they’ve got a daughter or somebody that just really watched the Hawkeyes this year and really got interested and wants to come and see Jan.”
Jensen is from the small town of Kimballton, which is about three miles north of Elk Horn. In 1987, during her senior year at Elk Horn-Kimballton High School, Jensen led the nation in scoring, averaging 66 points per game. The parade for the 43rd annual Tivoli Fest in Elk Horn starts at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The town’s former mayor says festival events start Friday night, though, and there’ll be Danish delicacies available all weekend. “Friday night the committee will be cooking Danish hot dogs at the fire station,” Jens says. “Of course they’ve got the Danish sandwiches up at the town hall and this year they’re actually having a rhubarb cooking contest, which is new. There’s three different categories and they’ll get prizes for the top two in each one, so I’m kind of looking forward to that because I’m a big rhubarb fan.”
A pickelball tournament and a bike ride are among the weekend’s activities. Elk Horn has about 600 residents and Jens says visitors shouldn’t have any problems finding food or event sites. “Just come to town and start walking around,” Jens says. “You’ll find it.”
A Viking encampment will be set up in the town on Saturday. Elk Horn was at one time home to a seminary for the Danish Lutheran Church of North America. The Museum of Danish America opened in Elk Horn in 1983.
(By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic)