Homecomers

Homecomers turned 100 this week.

Jackson's annual festival is a staple of the community, and the name seems to suit the event just fine. It's a week that people know they can come back to town and visit people they have not seen in a while.

This year's festival had more nostalgia, being the 100th anniversary. The event coincides with the dedication of the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse, which also turns 100 years old. It's been great looking old photos of Homecomers and reading about how the festival, the courthouse and the town have changed over the years.

One of the neat aspects of this year's event will happen today when past queens gather for a reception. Ruby Conrad, picked as queen in the first contest in 1935, was planning to attend, but she will not be able to make it due to health. We wish the best for Ruby. Some of the more recent queens were looking forward to meeting her. Our thoughts also turn to Marybeth Williams, the late Jackson Chamber of Commerce director who loved pageants. She would have been more than pleased with this year's Homecomers.

The Homecomers events this year have been well attended. It's a great small-town festival just right for our county seat. There's lots of good food, family and fun.