2024 Vanzant Picnic

Picnic food has no calories—not the cheeseburgers, the bratwurst, the ice cream or the cobbler. That is one of the special things about the Vanzant Picnic which got off to a splendid start on Friday. Steve Moody does an excellent job as master of ceremonies, acknowledging the support of local merchants and businesses as well as the many volunteers who make this great event happen. The entertainment started with a country band Go West with Ed McCarty from over around Willow Springs doing old cowboy songs like “I’m an old cowhand from the Rio Grande.” The American Legion Post 30 out of Mountain Grove presented the Colors with Dennis Lynch doing a fine job leading the National Anthem. Whetstone took the stage with many of their favorite songs and with Joe Cash who shared “Jambalaya and crawfish pie.”


American Legion Post 30


Go West


Whetstone with Joe Cash

A fleet of side-by-sides ferried people to and from the vast parking area. Saturday’s crowd was enormous. Whetstone started the show, followed by The Finley River Boys, who have been one of the main attractions at this picnic for several years. They had to cut their second set short for a health emergency, so Whetstone stepped up to fill in with some special guests. A new Champion, attending the picnic for the first time, Carissa stirred the crowd with “The Traveling Soldier.” Tom guest-starred with “Cross the Brazos at Waco” and Sherry Bennet gave us “Steel Rails.” Sherry is “…looking up ahead,” lining up musicians for the Pioneer Heritage Festival coming in October. Bluegrass Friends finished the evening’s entertainment with banjo, bass and guitar. That “Dueling Banjos” tune was a big hit. They had special guests too, as two little tikes, somewhere around 4 years old joined them on stage for the ABC song.


Finley River Boys


Gina, Carissa, David, Sherry, and Tom


Bluegrass Friends


Bluegrass Friends with Kids

Interspersed with the music Steve Moody was on stage calling out the names of the many people who won door prizes and the excellent raffle items. All the financial proceeds from the picnic go to support the Eastern Douglas County Volunteer Fire Department. Those volunteers leave their jobs, their supper tables, and their beds in the middle of the night to do what must be done to protect lives and property. In addition to their tools, equipment and fuel, the cost of the required insurance is phenomenal. The picnic was phenomenal and the benefits to the community are precious. While meeting old friends and making new ones, picknickers were blessed with the joy of seeing children scampering about having fun the way they may have had fun many decades ago. The whole picnic is reminiscent of the old days, of the simpler times of our youth. We are grateful for the opportunity to relive some of it like Champions—Looking on the Bright Side!

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