Being neighborly Benton festival opens, continues today

BENTON, Mo. -- Benton Neighbor Days is small compared to the SEMO District Fair. No big-name entertainers perform, the midway is uncrowded and the 4-H exhibitions don't take hours to see.

People here like it that way.

"I like it that I can come and not have to worry about the kids," said Geri Riley, 44, who has been coming to Benton Neighbor Days for years.

There's a premium on cuteness, which contestants in the Little Miss and Mister Neighbor Days, the Junior Miss Neighbor Days and the Miss Neighbor Days Queen contests depended on Friday night. People also like Neighbor Days' contests that reward talents for spitting watermelon seeds, eating pie or catching pigs.

Two of Riley's children will be chasing pigs again tonight. So far they're never caught one.

Sprinkles threatened to dampen the fun Friday night but did not, although skydivers were unable to perform because of the cloud cover. They are scheduled to try jumping again at 6:30 p.m. today.

The 35th annual Neighbor Days festival continues today at the Benton ballfield when the midway reopens at 10 a.m. followed by a parade at 10:30 a.m. and an antique car show. An antique tractor pull is scheduled for noon, a horseshoe tournament and other contests at 1 p.m., a kiddie tractor pull at 4 p.m. and a greased pole-climbing contest at 6 p.m. The band Night Shift will perform at 9 p.m.

The contest that will draw the most spectators is the greased pig contest at 10 p.m. Youngsters who can grab hold one of the pigs will win a prize. It's challenging enough that they don't even grease the pigs anymore, said Barry Urhahn, president of the Benton Chamber of Commerce. The chamber sponsors Benton Neighbor Days.

In the Little Miss and Mister Neighbor Days contest, the 4- and 5-year-old contestants were asked to walk on stage and state their name and age. Some didn't feel like cooperating, while others shouted it out.

The contests are a Benton Neighbor Days tradition. Emcee Sandra Bollinger was in the queen contest in 1977.

Exhibits of crocheting, photography and crops are among the displays in the old high school building. Patsy Anderson lives hours away but returns every year to enter a new creation in the quilt contest.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182