The 101st West Side Nut Club Fall Festival is set for October 3rd through the 8th this year. It will feature all the great things we love — the rides, the live entertainment, and of course the hundreds of food items for sale by the variety of non-profits whose food booths line both sides of Franklin Street from Wabash to St. Joe Avenues. The nearly week-long event also features a few parades from the annual lighthouse parade to the pet parade, and of course, the main parade which wraps up the festivities on Saturday evening. Each year the Club selects a special guest to serve as the Grand Marshal for the main parade. The Marshal is typically someone from the community who has made an impact on the area in some fashion or deserves special recognition for the work they do. Olympic gold medalist Lily King served as the Grand Marshal a few years ago, and this year it will be a man the community has rallied around since sustaining a life-threatening injury while protecting his community.

West Side Nut Club Announces Posey County Deputy Brian Hicks as Grand Marshal

The Club announced through its social media accounts on Tuesday that Posey County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Hicks will have the honor of serving as this year's Grand Marshal for the annual parade.

Deputy Hicks continues to rehab after being shot in the line of duty over a year ago. He was responding to a check welfare call at the residence of former New Harmony Town Marshall, Paul Wiltshire when the 70-year-old opened fire from inside his home when Hicks and other deputies arrived on the scene in response to the call from dispatch. Hicks was struck in the head by one of the bullets and was taken to an Evansville hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. In addition to suffering the life-threatening injury, Deputy Hicks developed Aphasia which affects his ability to communicate. Just over one year later, he continues to undergo rehab while Wiltshire passed away due to complications from COVID back in late December last year.

Serving as Grand Marshal of the Fall Festival parade will not be the first time Hicks has been honored for his bravery that day. Over the summer, he was given the opportunity to throw out the first pitch before a St. Louis Cardinals game.

The Fall Festival parade is scheduled to begin at 4:30 PM on Saturday, October 8th and will happen rain or shine.

[Source: West Side Nut Club on Twitter]

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