GRAVETTE — Jazz legend Bessie Smith used to sing, "There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight." Those lyrics were certainly appropriate Saturday for the annual Gravette Day celebration. It was the hottest day of the year and there were lots of "hot" attractions all around town.
The celebration began early when members of the Kiwanis Club began serving breakfast. A big crowd turned out to eat pancakes and sausage and enjoy harmonica music by Malcom Winters, who has played at the breakfast for many years.
At 9 a.m. folks could go to Lion Stadium and watch this year's varsity Lions scrimmage or go to the Gravette Historical Museum to view the displays at the "Living on the Railroad" model train show. Members of the Sugar Creek Model Railroad Club set up train displays, the Kansas City Southern Historical Society showed memorabilia from the KCS line and several vendors offered model train cars, track and accessories for sale. Al Blair, museum commissioner, kept the train running on the Gravette town layout that is being refurbished.
The big parade wound through town at 12 noon. In keeping with the theme, "122 Years and Growing," honoring area farmers and their families, Marion Harris, a local veterinarian, was chosen parade grand marshal. He led the way riding behind a colorful John Deere tractor and was followed by the American Legion honor guard and the Gravette High School band. Several Gravette fire trucks and ambulances joined the line, along with Miss Decatur Barbecue Micayla Hendricks and the contestants for Miss Gravette. Several floats were entered by area businesses, churches and graduating classes and a few horsemen brought up the rear.
After the parade, the GHS band and cheer squad performed in Kindley Park. Opening ceremonies were held at 1 p.m. Awards were given to the pee wee cheerleaders for the best civic float in the parade, Ozarks Community Hospital for the best business float and Delbert and Xollie Buffer and their carriage for the best horse entry. Katherine Tucker, 92, of Gravette, won the trophy for the oldest person attending Gravette Day; and two-month-old Hudson Phillip Fairchild, of Rogers, was the youngest in attendance. Sean Osborn, of Aliso Viejo, Calif., won for traveling the farthest to the celebration. He is a member of the GHS class of 1985. In a special presentation, members of the class of 1990 announced they were planting a tree in Old Town Park in honor of Heather Barnwell Finley, "an oak tree because they are strong on the inside and beautiful on the outside." A popular gospel group, the Sonshine Quartet, performed at 1:30.
Thirty-three vehicles were entered in the annual car show, held in Old Town Park. Brian Soule', of Gravette, won the Best of Show trophy with his '69 Chevy Camaro. His car also won first place in the muscle car category.
Six teams competing in the third annual Dutch oven cook-off began cooking at 10 a.m. Judging was held between 2 and 3 p.m. and public tasting and people's choice competition began at 3 p.m. A Team Divided, a local team of Fred Overstreet, Jim Bob Britton and Mary Snook, took People's Choice honors and Fred's pork chops were voted the people's favorite dish. Winger Creek Cookers, Zane White and Kenneth Calloway, of Sarcoxie, Mo., were winners in the novice category for the second year in a row.
Nathania McKenzie and her horses presented two sessions of horse training tips, the afternoon disc golf tournament drew several entries and several pageants were held in the afternoon and evening. DaMayla Cowan was crowned Miss Gravette, with Tori-Lynn Dixon winning Miss Congeniality and second runner-up and Kinsley Hurtt winning first runner-up.
Evening activities included a dance show by students from Dynamic Rhythm Dance Studio and "Shave it for the Seniors" where mayor Kurt Maddox and city recorder Mike von Ree had their heads shaved and raised $2,000 for the Billy V. Hall Senior Center. An evening "glow round" of disc golf, with participants using LED-lit discs, concluded the evening at Old Town Park. Several people came out to watch the activity and listen to the music of "Got It Covered," a Fayetteville band which played on the pavilion in the park.
Community on 08/12/2015