The Joys of a Small Town Festival in Missouri

Today I learned of a festival coming to my new home town of Republic. Pumpkin Daze! On the first Saturday of each October, beginning in 1992 (this year that will be October 3) the town closes off Main Street for several blocks and people line the streets with booths, selling their wares which are oftentimes home made, and gawk at the massive pumpkins vying for the Grand Prize. Imagine a pumpkin that weighs over 700 pounds: and loses by more than 300 pounds! How about a watermelon that tips the scale at almost 250 pounds? Maybe a cantaloupe the weighs more than 20 pounds? Hungry for a tomato? Care to take on one that weighs over 2 1/2 pounds? Well, step right up to downtown Republic and you just might see all of these huge fruits and vegetables at one time!

Yes, each of these massive items were on view in the 2014 Pumpkin Daze festival, and with the rain we've had this year there's no telling what might be rolled out this year. Will there be a world record set like there was last year? Yep, a genuine World Record! In the Heavy Gourd category someone set the record at 279 1/2 pounds here last year in the festival.

If you're in the area, be sure to stick around for the next weekend and visit nearby Mt. Vernon for their Apple Butter Makin' Days. This festival runs October 9 - 11, 2015 this year and features one of Missouri's favorite festivals on the courthouse square. This festival has run for almost 50 years now since its inception in 1967. A visitor can partake in the festivities themselves in fun things like Nail Drivin' and Terrapin Racin'. There's also a Pet Parade, Bubble Gum Blowing Contest, and if you're really hungry, step right up and enter the Apple Pie Eating' Contest! Once you're belly's full you can relax and listen to the Fiddler's Contest as they play some of your favorite tunes.

You can of course simply enjoy the Apple Butter and watching it being made right in front of you. The participants will use large copper kettles, some of which are in excess of 100 years old to create their wonderful apple butter. You can literally be on hand to watch as they fill your own jar of Apple Butter to purchase and take home to eat at your leisure. Of course, you can always enjoy it on the spot as well!

Apple Butter not to your liking? No worries Mate! There's also kettle corn, caramel apples, bratwurst, turkey drumsticks, baked potatoes and that ever popular festival favorite funnel cakes! As Grandpa Jones would say "Yumm Yumm!"

Also beginning in the 1960's, Carthage's Maple Leaf Festival draws people from near and far to the tune of over 80,000 people to this small town in southwest Missouri. A parade officially kicks things off on the third Saturday of October (if you're keeping track, that's October 3 in Republic, October 9 in Mt. Vernon, and October 17 in Carthage. Maybe you better just stay for the whole month!) but that's not the beginning of the festival. This festival is too large to be contained by a single weekend; no, try the whole MONTH!! Yes, I said a month! Beginning on October 1st with a Quilt Show and ending on October 31st this festival delivers somthing for everyone. A Car Show, bicycle tour, both a 5K and 10K run, Beauty Pageants for ages newborn and up, but the most popular attraction will be on that third Saturday of the month when the parade hits town. Featuring bands from across the area this parade can take several hours to run its length, which is just under two (2) miles.

September has its share of local festivals as well. Branson has Autumn Daze Arts, Crafts and Music Festival running the 17th through the19th; Conway, Mo. hosts the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival; and running the 16th of September through the end of October Silver Dollar City has its annual National Harvest Festival. On the 18th and 19th of September nearby Mansfield hosts its Wilder Days in honor of author Laura Ingalls Wilder, she of the Little House on the Prairie books.

Or maybe you like Cider? Hmm? Well then you need to head to Springfield, Mo. on September 19th and 20th for Cider Days on Historic Walnut St. Full of arts and crafts, performers and areas to spend time with your children, this fun filled festival will excite young and old.

But wait! That's not all! There's the Ozark Arts and Crafts Show October 2 - 4; Forsyth Harvest Moon Festival and Car Show October 3rd; Oktoberfest in Joplin October 2nd and 3rd; Aurora's Houn' Dawg Auto Fest on October 3rd; Grape and Fall Festival in Hollister October 10th; even a Wyatt Earp Fallfest in Lamar that same day!

Or maybe you want something a little quieter. If so, try the Glade Top Trail Flaming Fall Review in beautiful Mark Twain National Forest at Ava, Mo. on October 18th. A church service, pumpkin painting, scarecrow making contest, live music and best of all, breathtaking views of the fall foliage for one to enjoy. Ahhh!

So, are ya' comin"? There's plenty for all to enjoy in the nearby area and a person could spend a month here and not see it all. Get here soon to enjoy the most you can; maybe starting with Hootin' an Hollarin at Gainseville September 17-19. Crafts, music, and food for all so ya'll come on down and commence ta havin' fun, y'hear?

One more festival: Turkey Trot in Yellville, Arkansas. On the second Friday and Saturday of October (that's the 9th and 10th this year) Yellville hosts people from all over as they participate in the annual Turkey Trot festival. A parade, food, music, and the crowning of Miss Turkey Trot and Miss Drumstick in the beauty pageants highlight the festivities. Or maybe you want to try your hand at calling a turkey? The National Wild Turkey Calling Contest resides right here so you can go against the best in the world here or just sit back and listen. After a while them turkeys come a-callin'! Who knows, maybe the Phantom Flyer will arrive again, dropping turkeys from the sky for all to catch.

Don't worry, they can fly a bit!

Legend has it that Frank Bonner, who played Herb the slick salesman told the writers about the festival and they worked it into perhaps one of the funniest moments in sitcom history. Watch for yourself and judge. Me? I watch it and try to not pee my pants!