Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon's 120 Years To Be Celebrated During Festival

It's festival time in Clark County and over 90 arts and crafts booths have been booked so far for the 20th annual Gurdon Forest Festival to be held Saturday, October 28, on Main Street in Gurdon.

This will be the 120th birthday for the city of Gurdon. A special birthday party is being planned with cake and ice cream for the entire crowd at the festival.

A full card of entertainment has been booked for the bandstand shows. Mandi Jaye Tollett and Stony Ray of Nashville, Misty Holly from Prescott, Heather Leigh Bennett from Malvern and other entertainers from Little Rock, Whelen Springs and Gurdon will be performing all the old time favorites.

Special guests have been invited to speak at the opening ceremony and a "meet the candidate" political time will be set aside during the program for local and state candidates to speak to the public.

The festival, the largest such event in Clark County, has grown over the years into one of the largest small town shows in South Arkansas. The annual event brings community and business people together to show their support for the forest industry and the importance it has to the region. The festival is well supported by the community and is recognized around the state for its success and growth. The festival has become a highlight each fall for community organizations to work together to produce an outstanding hometown atmosphere for community development and entertainment, for family and high school reunions and for just plain old fun for everyone.

Special events throughout the day will include an antique and classic car show, arts and craft show, commercial displays, log loading contests, jail, bingo, Halloween costume contest, games, carnival rides and a big street dance that night. The CD&E Club auction will be held at the main bandstand at 4:00 p.m. Events of the day are open to the public at no charge.

The Gurdon Forest Festival is sponsored by the Gurdon Community Development and Entertainment Club and has been under the direction of Freddie Horne for the past 18 years.

Funds generated from the project go to support club activities, such as the CD&E Club college scholarship fund, delegates to Boys State and Girls State, Gurdon Senior Adult Center, computers for the local schools and for community development and entertainment.

The CD&E club is proud to be a part of the Gurdon community and strives to promote Gurdon, Clark County and all of Southwest Arkansas with its many projects.

The club also salutes all the participants, both large and small for their contributions. Businesses and communities working hand-in-hand have brought about this successful event.

If you, your business or your club would like to be a part of this outstanding festival program write to Gurdon Forest Festival, 7104 Highway 67 South, Gurdon, AR 71743, or call 870-353-2588.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Beginning Saturday morning, Rotary pancake breakfast will be held at 7:00 a.m. at the Gurdon Senior Adult Center on the corner of 5th and Main Streets. Contact person is Linda Bittle, 353-2521.

Scott Clark and Stan Escalante work on the adults for the Eric Griffin 5K adult run, starting at 8:00 a.m. Contact Clark or Escalante at 353-4933.

Bargain hunters race for the early Christmas gift when the arts and crafts booths open at 8:00 a.m.

From roadsters to hot rodders the antique car show registration begins at 9:00 a.m. with Terry Norris, director, 246-5139.

Line up for the Forest Festival parade will begin at 9:00 a.m. also at the old band hall parking lot.

At 10:00 a.m. the place to be is downtown for the parade, jail and bingo. The festival jail, always a humerus fund-raiser, will benefit the GHS junior class. Bingo this year will benefit the GHS Close Up students.

At 10:30 a.m. those with an ear for music can enjoy the sounds of The Hawkins Family performing on the Main Street bandstand.

The kids take their turn at the running in the Eric Griffin memorial kids fun run.

International Paper Co., one of the primary supporters of the festival, entertains the guest with the log loading contest. Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. Contact Jessie Runyan, 353-2567.

At the same time children can enjoy the festival mini-train ride, located at Main and Third Streets.The LaMay Family Music Show will perform at 11:30 a.m. for their neighbors and friends. Terry LaMay is the contact person, 353-6301.

High noon, brings introductions to the Main Street bandstand, which include grand opening; welcome; announcements; political speeches; introduction of royalty; introduction of Hoo-Hoo guests, GHS band; and happy birthday, city of Gurdon.

At 12:30 noon the Center Point youth group will be presented. The youths are followed by the Leandra Dillard Show at 12:45.

You can't be the judge, but judging will begin at 12:45 for the antique and classic car show.

As the logging games and contests begin on one side of the railroad tracks, The Bells from Little Rock are scheduled to entertain at 1:00 p.m.

Don't miss Gurdon's own Elizabeth Shepherd Sings American Country at 1:30 on the Main Street bandstand.

Following Shepherd will be the Messengers of Hope Gospel Time at 2:00 p.m.

Winnie Clark and Country Music USA will perform at 2:30 p.m.

At 3:00 p.m. Heather Leigh Bennett of Malvern begins to bring the music section of the afternoon to a close. Terry Hughes closes out the afternoon.

At 4:00 p.m. the call to bring out your wallets and purses comes with the beginning of the CD&E Club auction. Add your bids to the amounts to be donated right back into the community later in the form of donations. Year 'round the funds raise supports groups from adult education to computers for the schools and community.

Children can be anything, but Halloween comes twice in one week with the Thomason's Big Star Halloween costume contest. Terry Thomason is the contact person for the 5:00 p.m contest.

Singing begins again at 5:30 p.m. with Mandi Tollett and Stony Ray Show of Nashville on the Main Street bandstand.

Misty Holly from Prescott will perform at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Firstar Bank Street dance with Bruce Webb and Mountain Dew Band at 7:30 p.m.

The dance begins to clear out at 11:00 p.m. with the street cleaning contest at 11:30 p.m.absolutely free entry and free trash bags.