ASHLAND —
With a carnival atmosphere and a near perfect fall forecast, Poage Landing Days 2012 begins today in downtown Ashland.
“And there is always festival food, which is the highlight of my festival time,” said Phil Stewart, PLD president, smiling as he sat at a picnic table along Winchester Avenue on Thursday and checked a list of details awaiting before the celebration began.
Organizers say they anticipate hundreds for the festival’s annual pageants, which have already attract ed more than 50 contestants. Organizers Cecilia Lambert and Kathy Hampton said the pageant is one of the largest in the state and draws contestants with great prizes and the promise of a good time.
“It’s just fun. We make it fun for the kids,” Lambert said, explaining prizes include a savings bond as well as the right to appear in parades and at other events. “The kids make friends. We make it affordable for everyone and it is a great way for the kids to socialize. We consider it an old-fashioned beauty pageant and it is for the participants to have fun.”
The Baby Miss, Wee Miss, Mini Miss, Tiny Miss, Little Miss, Junior Miss and Senior Miss pageants will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, following a performance by Stephen Salyers, on the 15th Street stage. Organizers said last year’s pageant crowd practically demanded a category for boys as part of this year’s event, but only two contestants signed up to compete. Pageant fans are reminded to bring their own seating.
Stewart said he is pleased with the return of carnival rides, including a massive ferris wheel from 17th to 18th streets, along with a large carousel and events such as a 5K run and the Ashland Area YMCA’s FIT FEST from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday.
“We will also have laser tag this year and I think that will be cool,” Stewart said, joking he may have to patrol the laser tag arena to keep his board members from hogging all the fun.
The 17th annual Ed Haley Fiddle Festival on Saturday will include contests as well as live performances. Fans will have the opportunity to visit with members of the famous fiddler’s family and view an exhibit of related memorabilia at 1628 Winchester Ave.
PLD concerts will kick off at 11:30 a.m. today with electric blues by Friends of PinkSlip and continue through Sunday evening with a slate of local, regional and national acts. Aaron Tippin will perform Saturday night and the Grascals will play Sunday afternoon, preceded by finalists of the Country Music Highway Road to Fame Contest and Open Rail.
“We have more than 30 acts and it is all free shows,” Stewart said.
Don Stewart, PLD vice president, said this year’s car show is again being organized by Denver Jobe, who is coordinating things despite serious health challenges. The show is always a point of pride for participants, he said.
“Our show is different than a lot of car shows because it is a true judged car show,” he said. “If you get a prize at this show, then you know you have a top-notch vehicle.”
The annual Southern Fried Cone skateboard contest is also growing into one of the festival’s highlights, Stewart said.
“It is one of the premier races in the United States,” he said, adding the city is “only 100 feet short” of being able to host national competitions. “The hill on Ramey Street is considered a world-class hill. They compete hard in this thing and the crowds just flock to it.”
TIM PRESTON can be reached at
tpreston@dailyindependent.com or
(606) 326-2651.
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Poage Landing Days begins today
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