Many factors make for a great weekend

Blessed with glorious weather, celebrations soared to new heights of success this past weekend in McCook, Hayes Center and Stratton.

It's amazing, really, how festivals in close-together towns could be so well attended, but -- in all three cases -- celebration planners were pleased with attendance and participation.

"God was good to us," said Jerda Garey, chairperson of McCook's 33rd annual Heritage Days celebration. "We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. It was a wonderful celebration all the way around."

In Hayes County, Doris Vlasin was equally estatic about the fifth annual Grand Duke Alexis Rendezvous. "We had a great crowd and served more food than ever before," she said, adding, "I'd estimate that between 1,500 and 2,000 people attended Rendezvous events."

Stratton's Fall Festival also drew large turnouts, with day-long events Saturday attracting children for games at the park, team penners for competition at the arena, lines of people for the free barbecue on Bailey Street and nice crowds for both performances of the melodrama in VM Hall.

"During serving for the barbecue, the line stretched for most of the block," said Bill Zahl of MNB Stratton.

At McCook's Heritage Days, crowds along the long parade route were described as among the best ever. "It was awesome," said Marie Owen, who is in her final days as the Chamber's executive director. It was nice for her to end on such a high note, with this year's celebration attracting 106 parade entries, 84 food and craft booths and a crowd which filled both sides of the street from the start on Norris Avenue to the finish on West C Street.

In communities just a little over 30 miles apart, you would think that one event would take away from the other. And they may to a degree. But, for different reasons, the sponsoring towns want to keep their celebrations where they are.

In McCook and Stratton's case, it's tradition, as the celebration dates have been in late September for a number of years. As for the Rendezvous at Camp Hayes, the reason for staying with late September is that is when the date falls on the "Trader's Calendar." Traders, who are the main people that put on the celebration, follow a circuit, and changing the date in Hayes Center would cut their attendance considerably, Mrs. Vlasin said.

And so, it appears, late September will remain a major occasion for celebrations in Southwest Nebraska. Everything considered, that's a good thing, especially when the weather cooperates as well as it did this past weekend.