Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Blowout A Success

In spite of the immense heat, the Emmet Music Blowout was a success.

Anita Allen, the coordinator of the event, said the heat kept many people away who may have otherwise attended. However, more people showed up for the evening events in order to stay out of the sweltering heat.

Still, those who attended made sure the blowout was just that, a blowout. Everyone on hand had a good time, braving the merciless sun during the afternoon but making sure they drank plenty to keep their fluid levels up.

On the other hand, no one was very hungry because of the elevated temperatures, so concessions were down.

But there was one happy youngster no matter what happened. Cody Jackson was the winner of the five-minute flight on the LifeNet helicopter. In addition, Jackson came in third in the bubble bum sculpting contest.

This event, though, was won by Holly McKinnon, with Jessica Allen's artistic entry coming in second.

One of the most popular events was the fashion show. Models from several stores in the area showed up to display the wares on hand to the delight of the crowd. But two models in particular, Miss Dandelion and Miss Tiptoes, were the biggest crowd pleasers.

It could be because these two "models" were local volunteer firefighters dressed a bit differently than people are used to seeing them.

Other models, better looking ones, included Becky Christian, Kathleen Wicker, Dee Jarvis, Jan Faulkner, Rachel Elliott, Tiffany McBride, Jewel Allen, Shannon Womble, Johnna Bryan and Tiffany Bryan. Don Mitchell emceed the fashion show for all present.

One of the most popular events was actually a show. Joe Joe and Gizmo, a monkey act, kept the youngsters delighted with their monkeyshines and antics. Gizmo was a showstopper as he "autographed" plastic monkey dolls by placing his ink-stained hand on the doll's stomach.

When it came to speed and brawn, Laneburg and Perrytown's volunteer fire departments took top honors. The Laneburg VFD won the suiting up contest -- probably getting their firefighting gear on quickly so they could get back out of it in a hurry. Perrytown's VFD, on the other hand, posted a win in the tug-of-war contest, beating out three other squads.

From there, the blowout lived up to the rest of its name as there was plenty of music for everyone. Greater Destiny, the Ambassadors, Weldon Auld, Johnna Bryan and White Mustang all took center stage to keep the audience enrapt with their own musical stylings.

But this wasn't all there was to do. Youngsters of all ages took pleasure in visiting the petting zoo, where they could pet a wide variety of critters, including a wolf-hybrid, turkeys, a raccoon, goat, pony, puppies and kittens.

And, the Texark Antique Car Show was a big hit. These enthusiasts brought some vintage Detroit iron to show off for the event.

Allen thanked LifeNet for taking time from its busy schedule to fly in and let people examine the helicopter, along with donating the five-minute flight to one lucky winner.

So, while the final numbers aren't in yet, everyone there would agree the Emmet Music Blowout was a huge success.