Published 7/23/2025
Traditions
The Yale Bologna Festival is about a lot more than lunchmeat. The whole town works together to provide entertainment and fun in the close-knit community. The Bologna Festival started in 1989 and features one-of-a-kind events like outhouse races, bologna ring toss contests, and the crowning of the Bologna King and Queen. This year’s festival, running from July 25-27, features free inflatables for the kids, a bike parade, Yale’s Got Talent, a 5K and Fun Run, Street Dance, Car Show, and much more. Why Bologna? Yale is the home of Yale Bologna, a product of Yale’s C. Roy’s Meat Processing, which has been operating in Yale since 1924. Fried bologna sandwiches are a staple of the Yale Bologna Festival and are available in the Bologna Tent throughout the festival.
Full Weekend of Fun
The charming town of Yale is a very friendly place year-round, but it really rolls out the welcome mat during the Bologna Festival. Events are held throughout Downtown Yale, at the scenic Yale Park, and at the Yale Library. The highlight of the weekend is the Big Bologna Parade, which starts at Yale High School, goes down McColl Street to Main Street, and down Park Avenue. The parade kicks off at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 26th. There are no fireworks this year.
The full itinerary can be found at https://www.yalebolognafestival.org/schedule.html.
Story by Jennie McClelland for BlueWaterParent.com
