JACKSON HOMECOMERS: TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL RUNS THROUGH SATURDAY

JACKSON -- Umbrellas popped open under a light rain on the first evening of the 89th annual Jackson Homecomers celebration Tuesday.

Although attendance was low, rides, music and the smell of fried fish and hamburgers beckoned on opening night of the Jackson tradition.

The celebration will continue through Saturday with talent shows on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings at 8 p.m.

On Saturday night the Homecomers Queen contest begins at 7 p.m. with entertainment.

Rides and concessions open at 6 p.m.

As he waited to open the weeklong festivities, Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said he remembers many Homecomers. "I lived only a block away from the downtown," he said. "I would walk up every night of Homecomers when I was young."

Sander said he would spend hours at the celebration.

"I liked to play a game where, for a dollar, I would get six rings and win a bottle of soda."

At the end of the night Sander said there would be empty soda bottles all over town.

"My friends and I would pick them up and turn them in at the grocery store for 2 cents each. We would spend the money at Homecomers again the next night," he said.

Sander spoke to a small crowd on the lawn of the courthouse before the Jackson Municipal Band played.

"Homecomers is the longest running tradition in Southeast Missouri," he said. "And tonight we will hear from one the longest running municipal bands in Southeast Missouri."

He encouraged the community to come and support the Homecomers celebration. "Come and support our local service-club stands; the money goes back into our community and schools," Sander said.

The Jackson Optimist Club has operated food stands at Homecomers for over 40 years.

Mike Cracraft said he and his father have worked a combined total of 52 years selling fish dinners for the event.

Cracraft said, although Homecomers has become smaller over the years, people still bring their families to enjoy the food.

"We sold 1,000 pounds of fish in five days last year," he said. "We bought over 1,200 pounds to sell this year."

Cracraft said he remembers when Homecomers officials would put extra seats out for the crowds.

"I remember sawhorses with boards across them for seats," he said.

For the past 10 years the Optimist club has also operated a hot dog stand. This year, for the first time at Homecomers, the hot dog stand is selling root beer floats for a dollar. Cracraft said money spent at the Optimist booths is money well spent.

"One hundred percent of the proceeds from the food stands goes to local children's activities such as youth basketball, baseball, Boy and Girl Scouts, and many other youth programs," he said. "We don't spend a penny of what we make on anything else."

Bobby Cromer, member of American Legion Post 158, said weather would not keep Homecomers visitors away.