Chaffee celebrates German Days with carnival

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Carnival rides returned for 26th annual Chaffee German Days Friday and Saturday, but the greased pole did not.

Rides began last year for the city's centennial celebration. The carnival firm pays the Chaffee Elks, which co-sponsors the two-day event at Frisco Park, a percentage of the profit to operate the carnival, said Elks member Tom Cunningham.

"We don't make a lot of money. We give it away. There are six different schools in the area and scholarships based on grades and need are funded through this event," Cunningham said.

A popular attraction at previous German Days celebrations, the greased pole was about 20 feet high with a $20 bill at the top for the successful climber. Last year children were standing on top of each other's shoulders to reach the cash, which had to be replenished periodically.

German Days is also a place for local youths to perform and receive recognition.

Performing in the senior division talent show at German Days was Notre Dame Regional High School freshman Autumn Vandeven of Chaffee. Autumn teamed up with four of Marlene Creech's students for a performance of the song "I Will Follow Him" from the movie "Sister Act." They call themselves the "High Fives" and have already been invited to the Mid-South Fair in Memphis, Tenn., in September. Autumn said she's been taking voice lessons for a year and the group plans on performing every chance they get before they go to Memphis.

"Every time they perform they get a little better," said Autumn's mother, Darlene. She believes the Mid-South Fair will give them the opportunity to perform at a different venue and be exposed to other talent. "At the local talent shows they perform around a lot of the same kids."

The two-day celebration was first held in 1980 to honor the town's diamond jubilee anniversary and was named for the many German immigrants who had settled the area. Now the only evidence of that heritage is the sign above the Heeb Creek bridge illustrating a German man in an authentic costume.

Chaffee Historical Society member Debbie Graviett said Frisco Park evolved in the early 1970s when an adjacent housing development sprang up and the need for a playground arose. The pavilions were later built by the Elks.

Jerry Stroud, a historical society member and retired railroad worker, said the slang term for the park was "Bum Park" in the 1930s and 1940s because bums slept under the bridge there. The term helped railroad workers describe their whereabouts.

cpagano@semissourian.com

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