Mule Festival Weekend Is Here!
Mule Festival Weekend Is Here!
It is once again time for the Clark Co. Mule Festival on September 18th, 19th, and 20st, 2009. It will be the 24th anniversary. This event is held at the Clark Co. Fairgrounds outside of Kahoka, Missouri, located in the northeast corner of Missouri. On this weekend, this community event will entertain us with mule shows, crafts, flea markets, coloring contest by our area children, trail rides, and a rodeo. This event, brought to you by the non-profit Mule Festival committee is held to bring enjoyment to people of all ages, bring commerce to our community, and give our state animal lovers a chance to show off their mules. Food and camping is available. The main gate is free to all, for a weekend of entertainment. To help support the Mule Festival, a $2.00 commemorative button is sold to help with expenses and as an entry to the Rodeo on Saturday night. So come join this unique opportunity for a fun time.
This year’s Mule Festival will open on Friday, September 18th with the vendors opening at noon. A Fish Fry will be held at suppertime, 5:00 p.m., by the Fine Arts Booster Club in the 4-H Pavilion near the entrance to the fairgrounds. The Friday night entertainment will start at 6:00 p.m. with the Mule Polo. This event is held in front of the grandstand. Anyone wishing to participate and be on a team should sign up at 5:30 p.m. under the announcer stand. For more information contact Becki Krueger. Also on Friday night is the Mule team penning and roping . This will be about 7:00 p.m. after the mule polo match. Pre-entry will be at 6;00 p.m. under the announcer stand. For more information contact Becki Krueger or Tod DeJong. All mules MUST have a current Coggins test and current health papers if out of state.
Saturday will begin with a trail ride, meeting at the north end of the infield and leaving at 7:00 a.m. Sunday’s ride will leave at 6:45 a.m. at the north end of the infield. These rides are open to horses and mules, but all must have current Coggins test to enter grounds and 30 day health papers if out of state. Expect anywhere from 100 to 200 mules and horses to be there. It is a 2 to 3 hour ride north or south of the fairgrounds. Ralph and Mary Ann Plenge are in charge and may be contacted for more information.
The Mule show will begin about 10:00 a.m. At this time the Clark Co. High School Marching Band of Kahoka, Mo. Will open the festivities by preforming several songs. The flag presentation will follow along with the Grand Entry of mules. The band will play the national anthem. The Mule Show will start on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with our Mule Grand Entry. Events in the show are held at random. Some of the events are Back-to-Back, Dumb Waiter, Dotty Parton race, Mule Jumps, tack on a trailer, pantyhose race, musical tires, monkey in a tree, coon hunter race, pick up race, and maybe a surprise event. Some Sunday events are the costume contest, halter class , mule pull at noon, and the arena race at the end of the day. Linda Chockley will be back to entertain the crowds as our clown, as she has in the past years. There is no entry fee for participants. Participants must register under the announcer stand for a number and contestant prize drawing. Hand made trophies and ribbons are awarded. For more information contact Mike Schantz and Becki Krueger.
Church services will be held on Sunday morning at 8:00a.m. by the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys. They are held in the grand stand.
A free contestant prize drawing will be held on Saturday and Sunday to thank our many riders who come every year to provide us with laughter and memories. Prizes are donated by local and national businesses who support the Festival. For more information on the drawing or you would like to donate, contact Mary Rhodes.
The Rodeo is our most
See Mules, Page 11
popular event. It is held on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. A $2.00 Commemorative button is used as admission, with a first come first serve accommodations. Buttons are sold at the gate and at the main office all week before the rodeo. There will be a balloon release before the Rodeo for MIA and POW by the Kahoka VFW Ladies Auxiliary to commemorate National MIA and POW week. Next will be the presentation of flags. Some rodeo events will be Bulls – 16 and over, Steer buck out, Bareback Mule riding, Steer Dogging, Women’s Barrel Racing, Girls – 15 and under- barrel racing, break away roping, wild cow catch, and team penning. Books will open at 2:00 p.m. under the announcer stand until 4:00 p.m. The Nichol-in-the -haystack will be sponsored by the Missouri Longriders of Clark Co. A number of clowns will be available for entertainment and the safety of the riders. Contestants will be limited to the availability of the livestock. Contestants 17 and under must have parental consent and 18 and over need picture ID. 100% payback will be awarded to the winners. Entries are open to the public at a fee. For pre-registration and information call Mike Schantz.
Another main attraction of the Mule Festival is the crafts. These open on Friday at noon till evening and Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 a.m. in the big craft barn. About 20 crafting businesses will be there to display and sell a variety of items such as plastic or canvas crafts, quilts and rugs, wood crafts, metal art, baskets, ceramics, wildlife pictures, mule drawings(pen and ink), home made jewelry, homemade soap, other hand made items, and elk sticks. There are lots of neat thing to buy! For more information call Jamie Edmondson who is in charge of inside crafts.
Other vendors to see at the Mule Festival carry a variety of items such as new and used tack, t-shirts and sweatshirts, hats, flea market items, radios/stereos, decals, belts, health products, Watkins products, knives, yard ornaments, Avon, antiques, jewelry, horse shoe gifts, , personalized signs, and a cartoon artist. New this year will be a rodeo hat company booth. Also several not-for-profit organizations will have booths to raise money for their good works. Jamie Edmondson is available for more information.
Many different kids of food will be served at the Mule Festival. A full breakfast will be served on Saturday and Sunday starting at 6:00 a.m.. Other kinds of food there are honey and candies, tenderloins and fries, shaved ice, corn dogs, funnel cake, kettle corn, tocos, walking tocos, desserts, plate lunch meals, char-broiled rib-eye, chicken breast and butterfly chop sandwiches, home made ice cream, hamburgers, Mexican foods, mini donuts, strawberry shortcake booth, and a variety of pop and other drinks. For more information contact Jamie Edmondson.
The Mule Festival is also having again the saddle and quilt raffle. A Yearling Colt Mule is also being raffled off. The saddle is a Dakota brand saddle with a 16 inch seat and light in color. The saddle was purchased from Nick Reed . The quilt is a postage stamp design full sized quilt and hand made by a local woman. The mule was donated by DeWayne and Deb Cason . You need not be present to win. Tickets for the quilt ( viewed in the office)and saddle will be sold in the office . Mule and saddle tickets will be sold at the entrance to the infield, where the mule and saddle can be seen. For more information contact Wendal & Alice Smith. Winners of the saddle , quilt, and mule will be announced on Sunday afternoon.
A Mule Coloring contest for the area Clark Co. Elementary children will be held prior to the festival. A mule and colt is being colored by the kids, displayed in the office, and judged the week of the festival. Ribbons will be awarded. For more information call Kathy Williams.
The Mule Festival has many kinds of souvenirs to be sold at the Main Office. A new design will be offered on the hats, T-shirts, and sweatshirts, and a new Commemorative button design. There will be cookbooks and other small items for sale. They will have a NEW cookbook for sale this year. For more information call Doris Courtney.
Also at the main office will be a historical booth containing memorabilia of past Mule Festivals. Articles and pictures, as well as, past T-shirts, hats, and trophies will be there to see. A video of the first 10 years will be there to watch on TV. If you have any Mule Festival memorabilia you would like to display contact Debbie Logsdon.
Camping is available on the grounds and fees will be collected at the front gate. NO reservations. Camping fees will start the first day you park on your spot and is a first come first serve bases! Campers may start setting up on the Sunday before, Sept. 13 at noon. No roping off. Electricity and primitive is available for a fee, may need also an additional electric cord. Please bring a fire ring. Electricity will be turned on the Monday before. For more information contact Kathy Williams or Mary Rhodes. There will be sewer clean out during the week end for a fee. Sign up at office. The infield race track is reserved for livestock and their owner. Some stalls are for rent, for more information call Becki Krueger.
Randy Mc Daniel – “Relay for Life” will be selling buttons at the front gate. The Future Farmers of America students will help with parking. Parking will be down the old drag strip and in field east of fairground infield. The Kahoka Middle School will help with trash pick up. Handicap port-a-potties will be available as well as other potties over the grounds. Handicap parking is available if asked for. No mules or horses are allowed on vendor alley and not allowed outside the grounds after dark. There is a quiet time after midnight . No ATV’s will be allowed except for official Mule Festival vehicles and Handicap carts(which must have official permission and a sticker upon arrival).
This year looks to be the best one ever with calls from all over the mid-west. For more information check our web site at clarkcountymulefestival.com. Hope to see you there to make some new friends, new memories, and have a good time. Happy trails.
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