Leon may never have had an alligator problem, but a newspaper story claiming otherwise gave the community a reason to celebrate.
Leon Gatorfest returns Friday through Sunday, Aug. 21-23, at the Leon Community Center, located four miles south of Sparta on Hwy. 27.
The festival, now in its 24th year, traces its beginning to an article published in the May 30, 2002, edition of USA Today. The article headlined “When they eat your dog, they’re not so cute,” claimed a pet alligator had escaped three times in Leon, Wisconsin.
According to the article, health officials ordered the family to build a 6-foot-high enclosure, and residents petitioned to add reptiles to local animal-control laws.
Community members sent a letter to USA Today explaining the problems with the account, but the newspaper maintained it had identified the correct Leon.
Residents decided to have some fun. If the rest of the country believed Leon had an alligator problem, they reasoned, the community might as well hold a festival.
The first Gatorfest was held behind the Leon Country Tavern in August 2002. The celebration moved to the Leon Community Center grounds in 2004 and has remained a local tradition, living up to its motto: “A Big Time in a Small Town.”
This year’s celebration begins when the grounds open at 5 p.m. Friday. A bean bag tournament and laundry basket softball start at 6 p.m. Bingo will run from 6 to 8 p.m., with food served from 6 to 10 p.m. The grounds close at 11 p.m.
Saturday begins with volleyball at 8 a.m. Registration for the T&K Greeno Run/Walk also opens at 8 a.m., with the run and walk beginning at 9 a.m.
The craft show will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children’s activities and inflatables will be available from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A bike rodeo for children ages 3 to 15 begins at 1 p.m. in Gator Alley. The rodeo will include an obstacle course and a bicycle-safety program presented with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.
Children may bring their own bicycles, and organizers will have some available to borrow. Participants will be entered in drawings for bicycles, accessories, and other prizes. Bikes must be put away after the rodeo and cannot be ridden elsewhere on the Gatorfest grounds.
High Mileage will perform from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday. The grounds close at 1 a.m.
Sunday begins with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Laundry basket softball resumes at 8:30 a.m.
First Congregational Church of Leon will lead a Sunday service at 10 a.m. The craft show will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while children’s activities and inflatables will continue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gatorfest’s standstill parade begins at 11:30 a.m. Instead of watching entries travel along a parade route, visitors walk past the entries as they remain parked in place. Brian and Tammy Brieske are the 2026 parade marshals.
A pedal tractor pull for children ages 4 to 12 begins at 12:30 p.m.
Backtracks with Steve-O will perform from 3 to 7 p.m. The gun raffle drawing will be held at approximately 4 p.m., followed by the laundry basket softball championship game at approximately 4:30 p.m.
The grounds close at 8 p.m. Sunday.
Food will be available throughout the day Saturday and Sunday. Other activities include a children’s gator egg toss and the sale of Gatorfest merchandise.
Parking is free, but street parking is not allowed. Pets are prohibited on the festival grounds.
Updates are available on the Leon Gatorfest Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LeonGatorfest.
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