Dateline: October 10, 2002

51st Cotton Festival begins this Friday

By Roger Estlack & Cheryl Johnson, Clarendon Enterprise

Hedley is the place to be in Donley County this weekend as the 51st annual Cotton Festival gets underway.

One of the highlights of this year’s celebration will be the dedication of the $1.17 million expansion of the Hedley Public School on Saturday afternoon.

HISD Superintendent Bryan Hill reports that teachers began having classes in new classrooms last week and says workers are busily moving books and other items into the new combination library-auditorium.

“We’re about 80 percent complete as far as moving goes,” Hill said early this week. “We plan to have everything ready for this weekend.”

The school dedication will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday in the HISD Cafeteria in conjunction with the Hedley School Reunion. The new facility will be open for tours.

Reunion coordinator Mary Farris also reports that activity is coming along well.

“I think we’re going to have a large crowd,” Farris said. “There will be plenty of snacks and lots of visiting in the cafeteria.”

The all-school reunion is a relatively new addition to the festival. Farris said it was tried about ten years ago with limited success, and individual class reunions since that time had drawn smaller crowds. Last year, another Hedley all-school reunion was tried again and met with great success.

“Last year was really good, and we hope to have another good one,” she said.

The reunion is open to anyone with any connection to the Hedley School – students, former students, parents, alumni, current and former faculty and staff, current and former trustees, and members of the community.

The Cotton Festival itself is sponsored by the Hedley Lions Club and begins this Friday with the Hedley Lioness Club’s chili supper at the Lioness Hall.

Saturday’s activities begin with the Hedley First Baptist Church Youth Breakfast.  They will serve breakfast in the Lions Den from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The Rowe Cemetery Bake Sale and the Tractor Show begin at 10:00 a.m.  The bake sale will be held at Lions Den, and the Tractor Show will be held on Main Street. 

The Lions Club will serve barbecue beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Lions Club.  The Lions will serve barbecue sandwiches after 3 p.m.

The Kiddie Parade will begin at 1:30 p.m., and the Community Parade will begin at 2:00 p.m. 

An Old Time Hootenanny with a horseshoe contest, washer pitching, craft show, and other games will be held on Main Street throughout the day, and KEFH 99.3 will provide street entertainment.

For more information, call Anthony Knowles at 856-5246.