The 2024 Grand Marshal for the UFO Days Parade is lifelong resident Art Fahey.
Art Fahey celebrated his 100th birthday this year and will be the first UFO Days Parade Grand Marshal.
Art was born and raised in Belleville, where he ran his family farm that was just recently honored as a Wisconsin Century Farm back in August. The Fahey clan, starting with John Sr., Art’s grandfather, who immigrated from Ireland in 1873. John Sr. purchased the farm in 1894 and later split the farm for his sons, John Jr. and Leo, in 1918. Art’s father, John Jr., started farming next to his brother. Together the two farms covered more than 340 acres.
Art attended school in Belleville, but remembers the farm always came first. “When I was in eighth grade, I missed school to work on the farm. My Dad had a three-horse drag and in the spring my brother and I stood on it to add weight to break the soil,” Art explained. Ask Art what the greatest invention is that he has seen in his lifetime, his face lights up and he’ll tell you, “electricity.” He points to the oil lamp that is firmly affixed to a wall in his kitchen of the house. Art is one of four siblings that grew up on the farm and worked on the land until he retired with his wife Kathryn (Conway) Fahey.
When asked to recall his proudest moments, he immediately talks about his wife and family. Raising his four children, John, Art Jr., Connie and Nancy on the farm he comments, “I’ve had so many special moments with my family. Kate and I went to Hawaii, that was a big deal,’ Art recalled. “I had a chance to meet Jim Nabors, I sat in the same booth with Charlie Pride and Loretta Lynn. I also met Johnny Cash and Conway Twitty.” He is quick to speak of the honor of meeting those who are “famous,” but he doesn’t talk about himself. When reminded it is a big deal meeting a man who has lived 100 years on the same farm where he was born, he deflects and talks about his next adventure.
Special thanks to Joe Fahey, Mary Kay Fahey, Connie Fahey and Whitney Anderson for this wonderful biography.