Food, mud races and live music: Your guide to Benton Neighbor Days

Since 1969, the Benton Neighbor Days celebration has become a mainstay within Scott County, offering food, drinks, live music, pageants, 4-H exhibits and amusement rides to nearly 4,000 people each year.

In 2017, David Wilhelm, then-president of the Benton Chamber of Commerce, said the festival has been a fixture since the mid-1920s. The festival was not held from the 1940s to the 1960s.

We've gathered a list of a few events that are not to be missed — amid the annual corn hole tournament, photo contest, greased-pole climb and mud races — today through Saturday at Benton City Park in Benton, Missouri.

"There's a lot of people who moved away and that's the one time a year they come back to visit everybody," Benton Chamber of Commerce president Jim Wade said Wednesday, adding the theme each year is "Howdy, Neighbor!"

Admission and parking are free.

Live Music

Five-member Cape Girardeau-based group Grand Opening will perform Thursday. According to their website, they perform a wide variety of mellow music "that is perfect for wineries and other social gatherings." The Keith Morrison Band — southern and classic rock and country — is set to perform Friday and Saturday evening. The group performs "well-crafted originals" as well as country and rock favorites.

__Where:__ Benton City Park, near the beer stand

__When:__ Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Parades

Wade said the annual Neighbor Days Parade includes local high school bands, floats, four wheelers, antique cars and tractors. Prizes and trophies will be awarded afterward. The parade "blocks the whole town off for about an hour and a half Saturday morning," he said.

__Where:__ Starts at Benton City Park, continues through Benton

__When:__ 10:30 a.m. Saturday

Pageants

Several displays are set to highlight formal wear, dressy casual and playwear worn by 1 and 2-year-olds, 3 to 5-year-olds, sixth grade to eighth grade and ninth to twelfth grade. Those include: The Tiny Mr. and Miss Neighbor Day; Little Mr. and Miss Neighbor Day; Junior Miss Neighbor Day; and The Miss Neighbor Day.

__Where:__ Benton Ballpark

__When:__ 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Thursday

For a complete schedule, visit www.semoevents.com.

Get your weekend plans delivered to your inbox. Sign up for the Expedition: Weekend email newsletter. Go to www.semissourian.com/newsletters to find out more.