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Uniontown gearing up for annual Old Settlers Days celebration
UNIONTOWN -- Several new activities and events await attendees of the 107th annual Old Settlers Picnic, which is set for Sept. 1-3.
The annual fete, one of the oldest consecutive annual celebrations in Kansas, will feature a circus, a youth rodeo, parades, various contests and several other activities for people of all ages. The theme for this year's celebration is "Hometown America -- Remember When." Most activities take place in the Uniontown Square or within walking distance of the area, event spokeswoman Tina Rockhold said.
The event is a three-day celebration of Uniontown's history, as well as the original settlement of the town which occurred during the mid-1800s. The first Old Settlers Picnic took place in 1905.
"It's a celebration of pride and accomplishment for a small Kansas community," Rockhold said.
The event originally began as a "picnic in the park" held on Labor Day, but has evolved into a weekend celebration, Rockhold said.
New additions this year include the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus on Saturday, a hog roast on Sunday following a community church service and several new fundraisers for different groups that will take place throughout the weekend. The circus is a "full big top" from Hugo, Okla., Rockhold said.
The 46th annual Old Settlers Youth Rodeo, set for Sunday evening at the Uniontown Arena located just west of Uniontown, is a popular event that features the talents of several young people, Rockhold said.
"If people haven't been to the youth rodeo, those are impressive events for a small town," she said.
The parade on Monday typically draws the most people. Longtime Uniontown resident Laura Graham will be honored as the grand marshal for this year's parade.
Born in Oklahoma in 1913, Graham spent the first seven years of her life there, then moved to Colorado. In her early years, she worked in the fields with her brothers. She moved north of Uniontown in 1952. Graham has four children, Ruth Townsley, Betty O'Hara, Nancy Corrao and Ed Graham Jr., plus 12 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Graham worked as a school cook for 10 years and at the Uniontown Nursing Home for 15 years before retiring.
Her favorite thing to do is taking airplane trips "somewhere, anywhere," a news release said. She has traveled the world going to Austria, Germany and Korea.
The East Coast is the location she likes best.
Graham enjoys company and always has cookies and brownies for visitors. She says that she likes living in Uniontown because the people are friendly, kind and helpful, the release said.
The parade follows a route along the town square, the site of some of the first businesses and homes in Uniontown.
The three-day event generally attracts about 1,000 people each year, Rockhold said.
"The square is packed several people deep," she said.
Rockhold said there is a core group of about a dozen people who comprise the planning committee for the Old Settlers Days. Several other volunteers turn out throughout the weekend to assist with coordination.
"If you reside in Uniontown, in some way you're usually engaged in making the day a success," she said. "Everybody knows their role."
Saturday activities include a kids fishing derby, the Uniontown Saddle Club 26th annual Ranch Rodeo at the Uniontown Rodeo Arena, a Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament at the community center, and a teen dance that evening at the Uniontown City Park.
Activities on Sunday include a community church service, a hog roast, a dice run and a gospel music program, all set to take place at the city park.
Labor Day activities include horseshoe pitching, parades, a baby contest, old-time games, a silent auction, a picnic in the park, street contests, recognition of "Old Settlers" and various other games and contests. Vendors and craft booths will be present throughout the park all day.
The first settlers of Uniontown arrived in 1856, and although the town remains small (about 300 residents), community pride runs deep. For the most part, everyone who lives in or around Uniontown is known on a first-name basis, a news release said.