Dateline: June 28, 2001

Clarendon plans big July 7 celebration 

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Plans are set for Clarendon’s 123rd annual Saints’ Roost Celebration to be held next week, and actor Barry Corbin will lead this year’s parade on Saturday, July 7.

Corbin, who has numerous motion picture and television appearances to his credit, had a regular role on the long-running series Northern Exposure and played the part of Roscoe in the Lonesome Dove mini-series. He grew up in Lamesa, Texas, attended high school in Lubbock, and went to college at Texas Tech University.

Corbin also is a star of stage performances, including the one-man show “Charlie Goodnight’s Last Night,” which he co-wrote with Andy Wilkinson.

This year’s celebration features all the old favorite features, including the Shriners Barbecue, the Depression Lunch, Henson’s Turtle Race, and the Arts & Crafts Fair. A few changes have occurred in this year’s celebration, but there will still be plenty of activities for young and old to enjoy during the three-day celebration.

The celebration begins on Wednesday, July 4, in downtown Clarendon with the Bicycle Parade at 10:00 a.m. Kids can clip the registration form from last week’s Enterprise and mail it to the Chamber of Commerce, or they can sign-up the day of the parade at Eads Furniture & Appliance or the Chamber of Commerce Office. Line up will begin at 9:15 a.m. by the Post Office.

The fun continues on the Fourth at Thunder Junction with the Clarendon Tourism Council. They will serve sloppy joes and ice cream beginning at 1:00 p.m. while everyone enjoys the water slide, go carts, and miniature golf. Kids can pop their own fireworks from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. in a designated area at Thunder Junction. Parental supervision is required. 

The Donley County Horse Club will get Friday started with their Stick Horse Rodeo. The rodeo will be held in the vacant lot across from the Post Office from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. The rodeo is a fun event for all children nine and under. There will be an entry fee of 50¢ per event.

The annual Depression Lunch will begin at 11:00 a.m. inside the Main Street Ministry. The First Baptist Church will help serve the beans and cornbread for a low price. They will also be selling drinks and delicious desserts.

The annual Rodeo has changed this year to a Ranch Rodeo. The competition begins at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night at the rodeo ground with 24 different teams from ranches around the area.

Local teams include Cook Ranch, O’Brien Ranch, Finch Ranch, Running H Ranch, Matthews/Darsey Ranch, High Card Ranch, Sombrero Cattle Company, Spring Creek Ranch, Hall Ranch, JA Ranch, 3H Cattle Company, I Bar Ranch, Bar W Ranch, Spade Ranch, and the RO Ranch.

Ranch rodeo events will include Bronc Riding, Wild Cow Milking, Calf Branding, Team Doctoring, Team Sortin’, and the Open Wild Mare Race.

A junior calf and steer riding contest for kids ages 4-12 will be held each night along with the calf scramble for kids ages 12 and under. A free $200 beef certificate will be drawn each night. On Saturday night the drawing for the National Finals Rodeo/Las Vegas trip and the custom spurs by Wade Brannon will be held.

The rodeo dance will begin at 10:00 p.m. at the Panhandle’s largest open-air dance floor at the Rodeo Grounds with Young Country Friday and Saturday night. The dance concludes at 2:00 a.m.

The celebration gets in full swing on Saturday morning with the VFW breakfast at 7:00 a.m. at the VFW Hall. The RHAA Ranch Horse Competition begins at 8:00 a.m. at the rodeo grounds. The event is sponsored by McLean Feedyard and Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association.

The annual fair on the courthouse square has been moved to the City Park due to construction beginning on the Donley County Courthouse. The relocation lends itself to the new “Art in the Park” designation.

The fair begins at 10:00 a.m. and will wrap up at 4:00 p.m. If you would like to be a part of the action by exhibiting at the fair, contact the Donley County Extension Office at 874-2141 to reserve a space.

The Old Settler’s Reunion will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the City Park. The Shriners will begin serving a delicious barbecue lunch at 11:00 a.m. The annual Lions Club Cow Patty Bingo will be held at 1:30 p.m. also in the park.

The line up for the parade will begin at noon two blocks west of the City Park. The parade route will be from the baseball fields on Seventh Street to Kearney, then up Kearney to Third Street, west to Jefferson, and then back to the ball fields. Deadline for the parade entry forms is Friday, July 29. For more information on the parade, call 874-2421 or 874-3412.

Henson’s annual Turtle Race will be at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Sign-up your turtle at the store from now until the race day. After the kids race their turtles, the VFW will raffle their shotgun.