If there’s one thing we know after 77 years of Pancake Day, it’s that it takes more than a little Iowa weather to keep Centerville from celebrating!
Our Friday Night Live concert unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the rain, but by Saturday morning, we were ready to roll… and so were all of you! Despite a few showers, some last-minute pivots and one very speedy pageant relocation, downtown was packed with pancake eaters, parade watchers, runners, families, volunteers and plenty of familiar faces.
The weather may not have followed the schedule, but Pancake Day certainly carried on. And thanks to a whole lot of people willing to jump in, adjust and keep the fun going, year 77 was one for the books!
Here’s a look back at the 2026 Pancake Day celebration:
Starting the Day on the Run
More than 200 runners and walkers kicked off Pancake Day with the annual Fun Run & Walk, despite some less-than-ideal morning weather!
This year’s participants ranged from 7 to 78 years old, represented 31 different towns and cities and traveled from four different states to join us.
10K Overall Winners
- Male: Ryan Wagner — 36:57
- Female: Kristen Mitchel — 45:53
5K Overall Winners
- Male: Nathan Lantz — 17:24
- Female: Torri McVeigh — 22:59
Runners looking for their final time (or to sign up for next year!) can visit the Results Page
Not a bad way to start Pancake Day!
Thousands of Pancakes, Coming Right Up!
At 9 a.m., the Pancake Tent officially opened and the grills got to work!
One of the things that makes Pancake Day so special is right there in the name: free pancakes for everyone. That tradition continues thanks to the incredible generosity of Centerville Hy-Vee, which donated 100% of the products used in the Pancake Tent this year. We are so grateful for their continued support of this event and our community.
Of course, thousands of pancakes don’t flip themselves! A huge thank you to the teams who stepped up to flip, serve and keep things moving throughout the day:
- Amcor Packaging, who once again handled the Gourmet Line
- Fareway
- Alliant Energy
- First Baptist Church
- Iowa Trust & Savings Bank
- St. Mary’s Knights of Columbus
- Indian Hills Community College
- Hillphoenix
- Walmart
- Centerville Schools Administration
- The Bridge Church
- MercyOne
- Belloma/Felton Families
And another big thank you to our mixers and additional batter runners: Joethea Clark, Brett Devore, Gracie Pipes, Ethan Graham, Dalton Rhodes and the Brinegar & Vinzant Families.
It takes a small army to keep pancakes coming off the griddles, and we couldn’t do it without all of you!
A Rainy Morning Didn’t Stop the Fun
The morning weather threw a bit of a wrench into our original plans, and unfortunately DXP and Studio B were unable to perform due to the rain. But Pancake Day carried on!
Families still enjoyed face painting, caricatures, magic shows, live music and plenty of activities around the square before one of our favorite traditions: the Kiddie Parade.
Kiddie Parade Results
Costumes
- Royer, Cardani, Lehman & Howell Families
- Lark James
- Appanoose County Clover Buddies
Pets
- Landree & Ned
Bicycles
- Maren, Beckett & Burkley
Floats/Small Vehicles
- Moorman, Kelderman & Hilbert Families
- Linley McCann
- Whisler, Cowan & Sales Families
Thank you to all of the families who braved the morning weather and brought so much creativity to the parade!
And Then… the Clouds Parted!
After watching the forecast all morning, we couldn’t have asked for better weather when it mattered most. The clouds parted just in time for the Big Parade, and downtown Centerville was packed!
This year brought another great showing of marching bands, floats, local businesses, clubs, organizations and community groups. With 2026 being an election year, we also welcomed a large number of political candidates participating in the parade.
As the parade stepped off, we had the opportunity to recognize two very deserving community members: Parade Marshal Richard Gorden and Citizen of the Year Tom Demry.
We were also especially grateful for the strong showing of local and visiting veterans who participated in this year’s Color Guard. With our theme, “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Pancakes,” coinciding with the celebration of America 250, it was an especially fitting way to lead the 77th Annual Pancake Day Parade.
Marching Band Results
Class 1A
- Moravia
- Green City
- Brashear
Class 2A
- Putnam
Class 4A
- Ottumwa
Junior High Class
- Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
- Putnam Middle School
John C. Holeman High School Sweepstakes — Overall Winner
- Moravia
Congratulations to all of the students, directors and families who put in countless hours to make these performances possible!
Big Parade Float Winners
This year’s Best of Parade, sponsored by Centerville Produce, went to Centerville FFA!
Churches & Schools
- Centerville Class of 1984
- Centerville Community Schools
Clubs & Organizations
- Centerville Garden Club
- First Resources
Businesses
- Papo’s Pumpkin Patch
- Amcor Packaging
Thank you to everyone who entered a float. The creativity that goes into the Big Parade each year is a huge part of what makes Pancake Day feel like Pancake Day.
An Afternoon Packed With Fun
Once the parade wrapped up, there was still plenty happening downtown!
Our new Foam Party was a huge hit, especially with the younger Pancake Day crowd, and families spent the afternoon catching up, enjoying entertainment and soaking up some sunshine while it lasted.
And yes… while it lasted.
One More Weather Adventure
The Miss Pancake Day Pageant got underway on the Amcor Packaging Main Stage that evening, but Iowa weather decided we needed one final plot twist.
When a storm cell popped up, pageant committee members, volunteers and attendees quickly sprang into action. What could have brought the evening to a halt instead became another example of this community figuring it out together.
We packed up, headed to Centerville High School and had the pageant rolling again exactly one hour after leaving the outdoor stage.
Was it a little chaotic? Absolutely.
Did everyone make it work? Also absolutely.
A huge thank you goes to our emcees and former Miss Pancake Days Amanda Wilson Williams and Delissa Hindley Strode, as well as 2025 Miss Pancake Day Emery Hawkins, who took her final walk as our reigning queen.
2026 Miss Pancake Day Pageant Results
2026 Miss Pancake Day: Sofia Caraccio
1st Runner Up: Reese Bishop
2nd Runner Up: Addison Drew
Miss Photogenic: Jaxton Joiner
Miss Congeniality: Kimmie Johnson
Mr. Golden Griddle: Kale Moore
Congratulations to Sofia and all of this year’s contestants!
77 Years, and Counting
When the last pancake has been flipped, the streets have been cleaned up and the stage has been packed away, it’s easy to look at Pancake Day as one big event. But the truth is, it’s thousands of little moments made possible by hundreds of people.
It’s the volunteer who shows up early because they know there’s work to do. The business that says yes when we ask for help. The family that has had the same spot along the parade route for decades. The former Miss Pancake Day who comes back to emcee. The veteran who walks in the Color Guard. The kid marching in their very first parade. The person who sees rain in the forecast and comes downtown anyway.
That’s Pancake Day.
This year especially, we were reminded that no committee or organization could make a day like this happen alone. Every time the weather changed our plans, someone was there asking, “What do you need?” And then they got to work.
That spirit is bigger than any one event. It’s one of the things that makes this community so special.
So to our sponsors, volunteers, committee members, businesses, City and County partners, first responders, pancake flippers, performers, parade participants, contestants, vendors, families and everyone who simply showed up and celebrated alongside us: thank you for being part of year 77.
Pancake Day belongs to all of us. It has for 77 years, and we’re pretty proud to be the latest group of neighbors who gets to carry the tradition forward.
Rain, shine and whatever Iowa weather throws at us next, we’ll see you for #78.
To learn more about this year’s Pancake Day celebration, visit www.pactiowa.org/pancake-day-2026. To learn more about the history of Pancake Day, visit: www.pactiowa.org/pancake-day-history
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