RACELAND —
Rare photos and items documenting the city’s history as a one-time destination for thousands of horse racing fans will be among the highlights of this weekend’s Raceland Race Days, which begins Thursday with a salute to the nation’s troops, a beauty pageant and a community pep rally with cheerleaders, bands, color guards and student-athletes.
“I’ve got one that very few people have seen of the betting booths,” said Raceland Police Chief Don Sammons, explaining an exhibit of his old photos and memorabilia collected by Raceland resident Dan Howell will be on display at the community center, along with a historian/librarian from Keeneland.
Other photos depict the stands filled with people, racing action and the jockeys who once raced in Raceland. Sammons said it is one thing to read about 27,000 people attending a race in the small city, and another thing to see a photo of the old stands packed with people.
“They get a true idea of how big it really was.”
In addition to history, Raceland Race Days provides a non-stop schedule of family-friendly activities from firefighters and gunslingers to live music, a dog show, lawnmower and stick-horse races.
“This year we’re even thinking about having an adult stick-horse race,” Sammons said, adding he will have entry forms on hand and hopes there will be enough adults willing to take up the challenge.
Fallen will perform at 9:15 p.m. Thursday following the pageant and community pep rally. Race Days gets back under way at 5 p.m. Friday with a fireman’s battle and Gospel Night with WALK FM, featuring Chris Feller Band, The Appeal and Kings Thursday.
Saturday’s Race Day action begins early with dog-show registration at 10:30 a.m., and a dirt-track race car exhibit by Tony Dillow and Racers In Christ. Open lawnmower racing begins at noon and Stephanie Blevins Cook and Honey Woods Boggs will sing at 1 p.m. Gate City Gunslingers will have a shoot out on the street at 2 p.m. and the Race Days Parade begins at 3 p.m.
At 4 p.m., the annual stick horse derby will begin as Kyle Fields performs on stage, followed by Yvonne DeKay Dancers at 5:30 p.m., a repeat performance by Gate City Gunslingers at 6 p.m., and Devin Hale on stage at 7 p.m. Award-winning Elvis impersonator Brian Brenner will perform a tribute to Presley at 8 p.m., followed by Medicine Wagon at 9:15 p.m.
The festival also features: health screenings by the staff of OLBH from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday; a crafts show: silent auction: inflatables and a cruise in. For more information call Sammons at (606) 836-8621 or Ann Catlin at 836-9478.
TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.
com or (606) 326-2651.
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