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30th Annual Good Ol' Days; Crowd fills downtown area for new events, old favorites
It was a hot weekend, but that didn't stop the people of Fort Scott and beyond from attending the 30th Annual Good Ol' Days Festival.
Good Ol' Days Steering Committee member Jill Warford said events at the annual street fair that fills the streets of downtown Fort Scott with activity attracted "just as many, if not more (people), than last year."
One aspect of the celebration that was sure to draw a lot of visitors was the street vendors. Warford said there were about 20 more than last year. In the past, vendors filled either side of Main Street downtown from Third Street to Skubitz Plaza, however, with this year's increase, Warford said vendors had to find space on Wall Street, between National and Scott avenues as well.
Janet Braun, Good Ol' Days Steering Committee member and Special Events Committee member, said the entertainment -- both new and old -- was popular this year.
"The people who talked to me seemed to like it," she said.
One of the most popular attractions during the event, especially for children, was the carnival. Pride Amusements, this year's carnival provider, set up in two locations as a result of having more rides than available space. Rides and games were set up in the usual area on the north end of Skubitz Plaza, plus the grassy area at the corner of Wall and State streets this year.
Braun said those attending appreciated the variety of rides available and the committee plans to find a way to have the carnival's two locations closer together in the future.
In addition, the event's featured entertainer Wade Henry -- a comedic unicyclist and juggler -- enjoyed performing in Fort Scott and was very complimentary to the event's steering committee, according to Braun. She said it was difficult to tell how many people attended Henry's shows because crowds watched from shaded areas such as the tent and from under trees. But the turnout was great.
"We couldn't control the weather, as much as we would have liked to," Braun said of the warm temperatures.
Warford said the Good Ol' Days Steering Committee does not have the attendance totaled yet, but feels the numbers did not suffer.
"We felt like everything went great this year," she said.
Warford said the annual Fort Scott Idol contest was "packed" and the first Dance Fort Scott competition had respectable attendance for its inaugural year. She added the Red Garter show at the Liberty Theater was so popular this year an additional show was offered.
Fair-goers were also able to attend performances by the Osage Valley Vigilantes, whose wild west show was geared toward gun safety education for children. Along with carnival rides, shopping and food, visitors could also hear all types of music from gospel, country and bluegrass to rock-and-roll through the many daytime performances and street dances.
The Good Ol' Days Steering Committee welcomes feedback from attendees and encourages everyone to fill out an evaluation form, which can be found at the festival's website, www.fortscottgoodoldays.com.
To view photos from the 30th Annual Good Ol' Days Festival, visit the Good Ol' Days photo gallery at www.fstribune.com.