National parks featured during Good Ol' Days

Loretta George/Tribune photo During Good Ol' Days 2016 the sky was blue and the weather was mild for the three-day event. Pictured are some of the crowd looking over the vendors on Main Street Saturday.

The 35th Annual Good Ol' Days Festival theme this year was the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service.

The weekend kicked off Thursday with the 11th Annual Fort Scott Idol Contest at Memorial Auditorium and the carnival at Skubitz Plaza West.

Friday evening the annual chicken dinner was at Scott and Main streets, parade-watchers lined Main, Wall, National Avenue and Sixth Streets to watch the parade, and entertainment downtown included Bill and Monica's Excellent Adventure, the Hull Experience, the Red Garter Show and the carnival. New this year were extended hours for the vendors on Main Street Friday evening.

Mike Dunivan/Tribune photo A member of Beyond the Circles Dancers of Springfield, Mo., entertains the crowd during Good Ol' Days activities at the Fort Scott National Historic Site Saturday. National parks from around the area were featured throughout the day as part of the National Park Service's centennial celebration.

Saturday began with the Dragoon Races at the high school and the farmer's market and the baby contest downtown. There were displays, singers, dancers and instrumental music entertainment, activities of all kinds for the children, vendors sold their wares, and lots of special activities at Fort Scott National Historic Site, the town's own national park.

Jason E. Silvers/Tribune photo Leon Heide stirs a pot of kettle corn as it pops Saturday at the corner of Wall and Main streets. Heide said the booth has been part of the annual Good Ol' Days street festival for the last 23 years. He said it takes about seven to 10 minutes to make a batch of the kettle corn.