During the long Iowa winter, it seems at times that warm-weather fun will never return to Messengerland. Starting Friday, however, there is a sure sign that the summer season is truly at hand - Frontier Days 2009 kicks off. The gates open at the Fort Museum at 4 p.m.

The two-day festival will key on the theme ''Celebrating 35 years of pride in Fort Dodge.'' The array of activities and the diverse entertainment Frontier Days Committee Chairman Charles Clayton and his team have assembled seem certain to make this 35th incarnation of the event truly exceptional.

Frontier Days 2009 will have many familiar features, but there will be much that is new.

The Procrastinators - a percussion trio - will stroll the grounds. The group performed at Superbowl XXVII and has opened for big-name performers such as The Beach Boys and Jessica Simpson. Also new this year are comedian Jerry Frasier, comic stunt juggler Tuey Wilson, and Bob Hamm, who uses non-firing stage prop guns in twirling and fancy gun-handling displays.

Returning groups include the Hole in the Sock Gang, a western group that will be on Front Street; Bobby Awe and Country Awe-Stars; and Doc Anderson's Traveling Medicine Show.

On Saturday, popular country artist Michael Martin Murphey is sure to draw a big and enthusiastic crowd. Murphey's hits include "Wildfire" and his 1990 gold album, "Cowboy Songs."

Creating experiences with carefully crafted appeal to virtually all segments of the community has been an organizing principle for Frontier Days planning for decades. Flawless success in achieving that goal is one of the reasons this festival draws huge crowds and routinely sends folks home smiling.

A huge Frontier Days Parade will once again be a delight when more than 150 entrants head down Central Avenue at 10 a.m. Saturday. Longtime parade organizers Mike and Cindy Mulroney have produced memorable extravaganzas for almost two decades. This year will be no exception. Anyone who loves a parade - and who among us does not - would be remiss not to be on hand in downtown Fort Dodge to partake of this joyous event.

This weekend will be a time for festive family recreation and an opportunity to forge happy memories that will be recalled with pleasure for many years hence. Don't miss out. Join in the fun at Frontier Days 2009.