The 62nd annual Hootin an Hollarin Festival will be held Thursday through Saturday on the square in Gainesville.
The festival, one of the oldest of its kind in Missouri, begins each year on the third Thursday in September with a Queen Pageant at 7:30 p.m. Contestants dressed in their best country dresses will delight the crowd with stories of how things used to be.
According to the schedule provided by organizers, bluegrass, country and gospel music will be played the last two nights of the festival. Square dancing begins at 9 p.m. every night with traditional tunes played by an Ozarks fiddler and band. “Brush arbor” styled gospel singing will be at the gazebo. There are contests of all kinds during the festival, including bed races, outhouse races, calling contests, pie contests, as well as a quilt show and pet show and old-time games for children.
Hootin an Hollarin visitors can shop at a multitude of craft booths around the square and watch old-time demonstrations, say organizers. Food available will include lemonade, root beer, kettle corn, ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, beans and cornbread, funnel cakes and barbecue.
The costume parade will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, with all ages competing for the best old-time "Life in the Ozarks" dress. The Big Float and Band Parade will be at 2 p.m. Saturday.
“All this Hootin an Hollarin is offered free to the public,” organizers remind.
For more information, check out hootinanhollarin.com; the Ozark County website, www.ozarkcounty.net; or contact Paula Rose, chairperson, at 471-989-7282.
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