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GOLCONDA —
The 51st annual Golconda celebration of deer hunting and southeastern Illinois returns tonight with the Pope County Deer Festival.
The big tent opened 10 a.m. today.
"We will start selling barbecue at 10 a.m.," Golconda Rotary President Mark Aly said.
The Crim family has been cooking the barbecue for years and the Golconda Rotary sells it. The barbecue pit and bonfire outside the tent have warmed many hands over the years during the coldest Deer Festivals.
"I think there is a real science about it how they know the time to put the coals on the pit," Aly said.
The Deer Festival provides a time for Pope County natives to come home for the shotgun deer season and for the region to show off to out-of-area hunters. For Golconda the festival and parade is a sort of a homecoming.
"I think the festival is kind of like a reunion, getting back together coming to deer hunt," Aly said.
There are about 40 vendors signed up with something that ought to be of interest to everyone. Crafts, shirts, taxidermy, knife sharpening, Fido fashions, cosmetics, knives, wood carving and food vendors will all be under the heated tent.
Even with 51 years of experience, organizing the festival is a major undertaking for the Golconda Rotary.
"We start preparing months in advance. Even though we do have a really good system to do things it is always a challenge getting help. The average age (of Rotary members) is at least in the 70s," Aly said.
With so many seniors doing the planning Aly said the legwork of the youth from Golconda Job Corps is invaluable.
"We have developed a really good working relationship with the Job Corps. They send not only students from culinary arts to help prepare the sandwiches for sale, but also help with the set up and clean up. I don't know how we could do it without those students," Aly said.
At 6:30 p.m. today is the Little Mister and Miss Contest and the Junior Little Mister and Miss Contest.
At 7 p.m. Friday is the Pope County Deer Festival Queen Contest.
Starting noon Saturday is music of comedy music duo Phil Morris and Ken Barger of Cornbread Junction and Stacy Lynn Hines.
The parade is 2 p.m.
- DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.
The 51st annual Golconda celebration of deer hunting and southeastern Illinois returns tonight with the Pope County Deer Festival.
The big tent opened 10 a.m. today.
"We will start selling barbecue at 10 a.m.," Golconda Rotary President Mark Aly said.
The Crim family has been cooking the barbecue for years and the Golconda Rotary sells it. The barbecue pit and bonfire outside the tent have warmed many hands over the years during the coldest Deer Festivals.
"I think there is a real science about it how they know the time to put the coals on the pit," Aly said.
The Deer Festival provides a time for Pope County natives to come home for the shotgun deer season and for the region to show off to out-of-area hunters. For Golconda the festival and parade is a sort of a homecoming.
"I think the festival is kind of like a reunion, getting back together coming to deer hunt," Aly said.
There are about 40 vendors signed up with something that ought to be of interest to everyone. Crafts, shirts, taxidermy, knife sharpening, Fido fashions, cosmetics, knives, wood carving and food vendors will all be under the heated tent.
Even with 51 years of experience, organizing the festival is a major undertaking for the Golconda Rotary.
"We start preparing months in advance. Even though we do have a really good system to do things it is always a challenge getting help. The average age (of Rotary members) is at least in the 70s," Aly said.
With so many seniors doing the planning Aly said the legwork of the youth from Golconda Job Corps is invaluable.
"We have developed a really good working relationship with the Job Corps. They send not only students from culinary arts to help prepare the sandwiches for sale, but also help with the set up and clean up. I don't know how we could do it without those students," Aly said.
At 6:30 p.m. today is the Little Mister and Miss Contest and the Junior Little Mister and Miss Contest.
At 7 p.m. Friday is the Pope County Deer Festival Queen Contest.
Starting noon Saturday is music of comedy music duo Phil Morris and Ken Barger of Cornbread Junction and Stacy Lynn Hines.
The parade is 2 p.m.
- DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.
