Neighbor Days serves as unofficial fair

BENTON, Mo. -- The 34th annual Benton Neighbor Days celebration this Friday and Saturday comes as close to a county fair as Scott County gets, according to Christy Mothershead of the Benton Chamber of Commerce.

"Benton had an annual picnic earlier back in the 1900s, but there was a break for a few years," Mothershead said. "The chamber resurrected it 34 years ago because we thought, 'This was a good thing, a good opportunity for people to visit and for organizations to fund raise.'"

The festival is held at the ballpark, and as usual, this year's schedule is packed with something for everyone.

The midway opens at 5 p.m. Friday, with H & H Amusements providing rides. Registration for attendance prizes at the Chamber of Commerce stand also begins at 5 p.m. Hundreds of dollars in prizes are given away on Friday evening and all day Saturday.

Parachuters will land on the grounds at 6 p.m. Friday. The Little Mister and Miss Neighbor Day contest will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by the Junior Miss Neighbor Day and the Queen Contest. Musical entertainment will be provided by Night Shift beginning at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, activities will begin at 10 a.m. with the reopening of the midway. A parade begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by an antique car show. An antique tractor pull will begin at noon behind the old school building.

The afternoon is packed with fun for kids and adults alike beginning at 1 p.m. There will be all kinds of races -- foot, wheelbarrow and sack -- and all kinds of contests -- pie eating, bubble blowing, seed spitting, nail driving, tug of war, egg throwing, water balloon toss and many others. Also at 1 p.m., a horseshoe tournament will begin. A Kiddie Tractor Pull for both boys and girls will be held at 4 p.m.; entry fee is $1.

Greased poles and pigs

Throw in some old clothes for the kids so they can try their luck climbing the greased pole at 6 p.m. and then chase the "greased" pigs at 10 p.m. Glenn and Kevin Bollinger of Benton will be providing 42 pigs for this year's pig chase.

"The boys tend to tackle the pigs, while some of the girls use a wear-them-out strategy," Bollinger said. "One year, we had four pigs left that hadn't run yet, and they opened the contest up to adults. That was probably the funniest one to watch yet."

A talent show for both kids and adults kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the same time that parachuters will again land on the grounds. The band Decade will play from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Exhibits will be located in the old school building Friday and Saturday. Ribbons will be awarded with prizes given for best of class and best of show. There is a special division for children 12 and under in addition to adult entries. Entries are accepted for arts and crafts; ceramics; needlework; models; home grown, prepared and canned foods; photography; floriculture; and many other categories. Each exhibitor will be limited to three items per class. Registration of exhibits will be conducted Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 to 9 a.m. Local 4-H clubs will be exhibiting crafts in the school building as well as presenting demonstrations on the outdoor stage immediately following the parade.

Neighbor Days are sponsored by the Benton Chamber of Commerce. It is a community-wide endeavor with churches, clubs, schools and individuals working together. Proceeds are used to finance a scholarship and to contribute to many community improvement projects.

"Everybody in the chamber has their own little job and you pretty much have that job until you die," Mothershead said. "We are kind of like the Supreme Court."

jgosche@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133