Homelessness remains a big problem among teens and young adults throughout Johnson County.
Advocates want to know if local residents have the … ahem … fortitude to help solve the issue.
KIC-IT, a county agency working to address homelessness in young adults, is hosting its first-ever Testicle Festival on Saturday. The fundraiser will feature a rodeo, Rocky Mountain oysters, live music and more from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Johnson County fairgrounds.
The tongue-in-cheek festival underlies the seriousness of homelessness, and hopefully will give KIC-IT even more tools to eliminate it in the community.
“It’s a fun play on words — kicking homelessness in the nuts,” said Katie Schwarz, executive director of KIC-IT. “I think it’s a fun way to raise awareness and raise funds. It’s something different.”
Since 2011, KIC-IT has been working to provide teens and young adults with the resources they need to escape homelessness. The organization operates a drop-in center with laundry facilities, showers, computer work stations, kitchen, and a food and hygiene pantry for young people to use. The center also provides a safe space for clients to connect with local resources.
KIC-IT also has youth outreach programs, distributions for Easter and Christmas, and donation drives such as Stuff the Trunk and New Kicks for School.
A new program, Youth Ally for Homeless Education & Prevention, was founded in 2022 to work directly with Johnson County high school students who are at risk to drop out of school and face future homelessness.
“The numbers we saw the past school year were much higher than we anticipated,” Schwarz said. “So, that program is growing, and we’re excited about the impact we can make through it. But with that, we also see a need for additional funds to meet that need.”
Finding funding to meet the need has been a constant challenge, Schwarz said. Because of that, organizers have had to get creative with ways to generate money.
“Fundraising, donations and grants are 97% of our operating budget. That budget continues to grow each year, and we don’t receive any county funding, state funding or anything like this,” she said. “Fundraisers are our fuel for our mission.”
The Testicle Festival was inspired while Schwarz was traveling in Nebraska. Driving down the highway, she saw a road sign for the Nebraska Testicle Festival. After doing a little bit of research, she learned that these types of festivals are held in states across the United States.
Organizers use money raised during the festivals to support agencies working with youth.
“I thought that totally fit in with KIC-IT,” Schwarz said. “So I started brainstorming how to do this for a fundraiser for us.”
Sponsored by Urology of Indiana, the festival spotlights Rocky Mountain oysters — the cowboy-country delicacy made with deep-fried bull testicles.
“We can do 5Ks and fundraising galas, but Hoosiers love festivals and they love live music and they love food trucks,” Schwarz said. “A rodeo is something different.”
People who aren’t feeling quite so adventurous can grab food from a variety of food trucks while they participate in giant tricycle races, kids games or ride a mechanical bull. A health fair, with emphasis on men’s health, is planned for the first part of the festival. The Eric Hamblen Band is scheduled to provide live music.
All of it leads up to the centerpiece attraction — an eight-event rodeo by South Plains Rodeo Company. The rodeo crew will showcase steer wrestling, barrel racing and more during the show starting at 7 p.m.
“It’ll be the real thing — bull riding and saddle bronc riding, the roping, all of it,” Schwarz said.
Reactions to the planned Testicle Festival have been varied throughout the community, with some people excited about an event centered around Rocky Mountain Oysters, while others are not entirely convinced, Schwarz said. But overall feedback has been positive.
In particular, the small but growing number of local residents involved in Indiana rodeo are anticipating seeing an authentic event here in their backyard, Schwarz said.
“Rodeo is kind of cool, and I think it’s neat to offer it locally for young people who participate in that sport,” she said. “It’s an opportunity, in a new way, to bring together our community and bring it here for local kids and local people.”
IF YOU GO
KIC-IT Testicle Festival
What: A family-friendly festival, sponsored by Urology of Indiana, featuring Rocky Mountain oysters, food trucks, live music, a health fair, activities, and an eight-event rodeo showcased by South Plains Rodeo Company.
When: 4-9 p.m. Saturday; rodeo starts at 7.
Where: Johnson County fairgrounds, 250 Fairground St., Franklin
Tickets: $15 per vehicle; $10 per person for rodeo, age 10 and under free. Vehicle passes are available online, rodeo tickets can be bought at the door.
Information: kic-it.org/event-info/kic-it-testicle-festival
