The 66th Annual Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, a celebration of rural America’s technology of the past, starts tonight with a parade of antique, and classic farm implements and much more.
The parade will be on Main Street through Fort Scott’s historic downtown on Thursday, September 29th at 6 PM.
Then Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, the Bourbon County Fairgrounds on south Horton Street, will be a scene of educational and historic exhibits, entertainment, vendors, food and arts and crafts.
New this year is a large model train display with little people in villages, according to Craig Shikles, president of the PHF board. It will be there at 9 a.m. on Saturday throughout the day. Other officers of the board: Larry Richard, Delphine Parks and Betsy Readinger.
Over 320 local students will be coming to the fiesta on Friday, according to Del Parks. “They will be able to do some hands-on stuff, she said.
There will be drag saw demonstrations, Baker fan demonstrations, tractors, gas engines, straw baling, wheat thrashing, corn husking/shelling, rock crushing, and saw mill operations on display.
The full weekend admission is only $5 per person and includes a collector button and Friday Bean Feed at 5 PM. Hours the fiesta is open: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Children under age 12 are free, however free admission does not include button. Prior year Collector Buttons available, $1.
There will be many food vendors including a chicken and noodle dinner provided by the First Southern Baptist Church, chili dogs provided by the local Eastern Star organization and biscuits, gravy and coffee will be sold at the information tent for breakfast at the Eddy Street entrance to benefit the PHF organization.
On Saturday evening, there will be a bull riding and mutton busting event to enjoy, although it is not a part of the fiesta, it will be located on the Bourbon County Fairgrounds.
Music to Enjoy
Ralph Carlson and Floyd Feezell have organized a great lineup of talent for the music entertainment at the fiesta.
On Saturday at 10 a.m. a band including Larry and Judy Snow, from Mound City, will be performing. The Snows play for dances and concerts in this area. At 11 a.m., the Hemphill Family Band will be performing. Jack, Sandy, Brad, and Kristen also perform in the area. They play different styles of music, but they do lots of country pieces.
At noon, there will be an open mike session. People who wish to perform may bring CDs with which to sing or bring their own instruments and/or voices to participate. The sound system will be controlled by David Oas.
At 1 p.m., a string group, The Prairie Sunflower Strings, will perform. The group consists of mountain dulcimers, autoharp, fiddle, guitar, and bass guitar. Members of the group who are local are Jean Strader, Marilyn Adcock, Joyce Love, Sandy Hemphill, and Jack Hemphill. Cherry Nelson, from Columbus, also performs in the group on the dulcimer. This group will also play at 3 p.m.
David Prickett, a local guitar player,will perform at 2 p.m. He plays and sings a wide variety of music. The music should conclude at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday.
On Sunday morning, there will be a church service under the same tent. Rev. Joel Crippen, minister at the First Southern Baptist Church, will be leading the service.
Following the church service, there will be another open mike session. All are invited to attend and/or perform.
The community is encouraged to come out and listen the music while looking at all of tractors and enjoy shopping at the vendor booths both Saturday and Sunday.
