The Eldon Turkey Festival is upon the Ozark community for the 32nd year Saturday.
The event, which began in recognition of the area's turkey farmers, has grown from a small community celebration to a citywide fall festival.
This year, festivities will include a parade, food and contests, along with new features like a local photography exhibit and free plane rides for children.
Eldon Chamber of Commerce Director Sandy Kilkenny is excited about the variety of attractions the festival has to offer.
"I think that some of the things that they did in the beginning were a lot more like a hometown picnic," she said. "I think that it has evolved into a lot more informational booths and exhibits."
The Eldon Parks and Recreation Department's Turkey Trot & Gobble Wobble 5K sign-in will begin 6:45 a.m. at the Eldon Pool and Air Park. The race will begin at 7:30 a.m.
The parade is scheduled at 10 a.m. and is set to feature marching bands from Eldon, New Bloomfield, Iberia and Richland high schools, along with antique cars and tractors and the Mr. and Miss Gobbler and Little Mr. and Miss Turkey contest winners.
Festival royalty winners are determined by the amount of money collected by the individual contestants. A reception and coronation will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, and the royalty will be announced at 11 a.m. Saturday on the south Community Stage.
After the coronation, Community Stage festivities will include area cheer and gymnastics athletics and musical performances from the local jazz band, chamber choir and women's select choir. Local vocalist Hervina Wheeler will be the evening's finale. Religious musical selections will be performed on the north Gospel Stage.
Carnival games, inflatable playplaces and pony rides will be available for children. The Lake of the Ozarks chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association will hold a Young Eagles Flight Rally noon-3 p.m. at the Eldon Model Airport, offering free airplane rides and pilot question-and-answer sessions for ages 8-17. Participants will receive a logbook and certificate signed by their pilot and air show professional Sean D. Tucker.
Familiar foods like turkey legs, barbecue and hot dogs will be on the menu, along with unique items from more than 120 vendors servings selections like gator burgers, craft jams, allergy-sensitive nut butters and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory desserts.
"We really made it our priority to seek out new vendors this year," Kilkenny said. "We are real close to being sold out, which is exciting. One of the new direct sales businesses that's coming is called We Be Shuckin', and they actually have oysters that they open up in front of the customer, and they pull out a pearl, and then they sell jewelry to put the pearls in.
"I've seen it done, and it's pretty cool because you never know what's going to be in there."
Among the customary events, the quilt show will take place in the high school gymnasium. The turkey-calling contest is returning for a second year. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m., and the contest begins at 1 p.m at the community center. The Boondock Boys, of the Pursuit Channel hunting series, will serve as special guest judges. Also returning is the turkey bowling contest. The top 12 winners will receive prizes at the event taking place 11 a.m.-1 p.m. outside of Gerbes. A car-bashing event hosted by Eldon Career Center students will take place again so participants can "take out that aggression" with a hammer or bat for a small fee, Kilkenny said.
Unique to the 2017 festival, 40 photographers will visit Eldon for the Missouri Photo Workshop to document life in the small town. Their photos will be displayed at the Eldon High School commons during the festival. "People are starting to notice the town and want to show it off a little bit," Kilkenny said.
She believes everyone will appreciate the picturesque qualities of Eldon and encourages those who have never attended the festival see what the city has to offer.
"(Eldon) still has what everybody is looking for in a small-town community," she said. "They care for one another. If one of them is down, they raise funds for that person together. They all want to get involved and do something, which is great. That means they care."