Back to tradition

Homecomers has long been what the city of Jackson looks forward to every summer and this year's celebration was no different.

Uptown Jackson has been filled with carnival rides, food trucks, a beer garden, various tents and entertainment on the main stage this week to celebrate Homecomers. High Street, where most of the rides were located, was full of anxious riders.

"You know, there's not another event that shows off the city of Jackson better than Homecomers. In this place, we see strong tradition of friendliness, community, spirit and fun," Dwain Hahs, Jackson's mayor, said at the opening of the event on Tuesday.

The annual event returned after a year hiatus due to the pandemic, only the third interruption of the celebration that began in 1908.

Something different this year was a dedication to former Jackson mayor Barabra Lohr, who recently passed. Band members Dr. Alan Branson, Dr. Steve Jordan, Rodney Eftink and Shawn Asmus played songs in her honor in between narrations about Lohr by Janey Foust. She was even quoted on this year's Homecomers poster - "It's great to live in Jackson," Lohr once said.

Children ride one of many rides at Jackson Homecomers on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Uptown Jackson. (Brooke Holford ~ Southeast Missourian)