Four decades of celebrations on the prairie

Photos by Shari Harris
The cast of Edgar Springs Hee Haw and the audience joined together to sing “Country Roads.”

The Edgar Springs First Baptist Church float won first place in the parade.

The 40th Annual Edgar Prairie Days began on Friday, at the Edgar Springs Saddle Club rodeo grounds. The Little Mr. contest kicked off events, and this year’s winner was Hyde Foster.

The Edgar Springs Saddle Club held a Cowboy Challenge obstacle course afterward. Contestants rode their horses through a variety of obstacles and were scored on the ease of completion of each task. In the Youth category (age 12 and under), winners were Baylee Crum, of Dixon (1st and 2nd); and Presley Cox, of Licking (3rd). Teen Division (ages 13-17) winners were Emma Lauritzen, of Edgar Springs (1st); Rylan Branstetter, of Licking (2nd); and Autumn Glarkin, of SW Missouri (3rd). Adult winners were Maddie Branstetter, of Licking (1st); Terry Shanks, of Edgar Springs (2nd); and Savannah Cox, of Licking (3rd).

Saturday morning was the parade, with a lineup of emergency vehicles, floats, side-by-sides, motorcycles, classic cars, a tractor, cloggers, and horseriders. This year’s Grand Marshalls were Rick and Mary Zika. Float winners were Edgar Springs First Baptist Church (1st) and a young boy on a tractor pulling a cart carrying crosses (2nd).

Old-time games for the kids followed beside the fire station, with prizes of scooters and $2 bills for winners.

The afternoon saw the return of Hee Haw at the school gymnasium. Seats were full (and the parking lot was overflowing) as the community gathered to see their neighbors entertain with music and jokes, some at their own expense. Mrs. Gail Coverdell wrote the script, and the audience was pleased with the resulting show, giving it a standing ovation.

A cornhole tournament was next, and was won by Wyatt Porter and Daniel Kohensky.

The Open Road Band, with lead singer Stacy Harris, of Edgar Springs, performed Saturday evening at the fire station. Many took to the dance floor, and even more brought their lawn chairs and enjoyed the music. The Edgar Springs PTO offered a concession stand at the event.

Sunday brought the event to a close with a barbecue meal and gospel music by Don Hayes.

The community gathered together for a weekend of fun and laughter, good food, and fellowship, making the 40th annual event a great success.

Photos by Shari Harris