SCOTT CITY MID-SUMMER FESTIVAL STARTS

SCOTT CITY -- The citywide reunion better known as the annual Mid-Summer Festival is set to start tonight with a parade.

The parade starts along Main Street at 5:30 p.m. When it ends at Municipal Park, the fun will begin.

Phyllis Spinks, festival chairwoman, said the festival draws a lot of people back year after year. "It's almost like a family reunion," she said. "People come out to see who's all there and probably see people they haven't seen since the last summerfest."

This year's festival, the 21st, will feature a new event this year -- a sanctioned youth talent contest at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. "We're real excited about this because it is Mid-South Fair Sanctioned," Spinks said. "We will have a representative from Memphis, Tenn., here to help with the judging."

The winner of that contest will be eligible to go to the Mid-South Fair in Memphis. Twelve people have entered the contest.

Spinks said she hopes this event will grow into a daylong contest in future festivals.

An hour before the sanctioned talent show will be a junior talent show. "It's not going to be sanctioned but this way the kids can start feeling comfortable on the stage," Spinks said. "When they turn 13, and they're eligible for the Mid-South fair, I think this will help them out."

Both nights will end with live music from bands with local connections. "Liener and Liener" will feature Randy Liener and his wife, "Bongo Sally," tonight. Randy Liener is a Scott City native.

Mike Mason, a musician in "Texas Storm," Saturday's closing act, is also from Scott City. Spinks said she's not sure what to expect out of "Texas Storm," she hasn't heard them play.

A 30-minute fireworks display at 10 p.m. Saturday will close the festival for many of the younger participants.

"That way parents with small kids can leave then and people who want to see the band can stay on until midnight," Spinks said.