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Bradford's Fun Fest draws
glitz, crafts, tractors
By Pat Hambrick
Contributing writer The Daily Citizen
Saturday, October 16, 2004 8:49 PM CDT
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| The Possum Queens of Bradford were very much the
spectacle of eye-popping, show-biz glamour at Bradford's Fun Fest
Saturday. More pictures from the day's celebration on Pages 2A and
8A. Photo/Pat Hambrick |
The festive mood and smiling faces of the people
attending the 21st annual Bradford Fun Fest more than offset the gloomy
skies Saturday morning.
Greba Edens said she and her cousin came up with the idea for the Fun
Fest. "Everybody was having something, so we thought we'd try it, and it
turned out pretty good."
A large crowd browsed the streets, which were lined
with vendors on both sides, as they waited for the parade to start at 10
a.m.
Activities were scheduled throughout the day, including a baking
contest, a silent auction, a parade, bands, a tractor pull, an Elvis
impersonator, and a beauty pageant.
The parade featured the usual fire trucks, beauty
queens, politicians, floats, a band, and horses, as well as some more
unusual entries like Bradford's chapter of the Red Hat Society and The
Possum Queens.
The Possum Queens, based on a line of popular books, are a spoof the
traditional ideas about beauty queens.
The queens rode in and on top of a white stretch
limo, all in costume of platinum blond wigs, boas, hot pink dresses and
an odd assortment of foot wear.
Several classes of students at Bradford schools also had floats in the
parade. Another parade favorite of the crowd seemed to be the Bradford
Little Dribblers and Junior Dribblers, who stopped dribbling every few
feet and exhibited their basketball-handling skills, obviously inspired
by the legendary Harlem Globetrotters .
"I come to this every year," said Wanda LaForce, a
former Bradford resident who now lives in Judsonia. Her husband pastored
a church in Bradford for 18 years. She is a member of the American
Legion Auxiliary Post #144 in Bradford selling baked goods and other
items at the Fun Fest.
"Our booth does pretty well here," she said.
A local church located in the blocked-off area of the Fun Fest site on
Highway 87 also offered a country breakfast and a large "pumpkin patch"
featuring pumpkins of all sizes for sale.
Judging from the number of cars in their parking lot, they were having a
lot of customers, as well. |
