Our big adventure over the weekend was attending the 65th annual Yellville Turkey Trot Festival. Yellville is about twenty miles to the northeast of Mountain Home. It took us over an hour and a half to get there on Saturday. And not because of the traffic from people trying to get to Yellville to enter in the Miss Drumstick competition.
All points into Yellville were closed off by the local police and sheriff's department due to the Turkey Trot parade. At least Randy and I were able to take a scenic drive into town.
The Turkey Trot Festival started in Yellville in 1945.
As with any festival, there is a street fair ...
Food ...
Music ...
As well as bounce houses, street dances, and an official Turkey Trot dinner held in the school cafeteria. Since the star attraction is a turkey, there is also a turkey calling contest and the Miss Drumstick competition where the contestants show only their legs.
I am beginning to think that the random dinosaur is a staple at all local events in Arkansas.
Because of, or maybe in spite of, the abundance of wild turkey in this area, someone decided that it would be fun (for the turkey?) to be tossed off the roof of the court house building in the town square. At the time this was aptly called the 'Turkey Toss'. In the 60’s the game was changed to the ‘Turkey Drop’ as the turkeys were dropped from a low-flying airplane that circled the square.
As with any festival, there is a street fair ...
Food ...
Music ...
As well as bounce houses, street dances, and an official Turkey Trot dinner held in the school cafeteria. Since the star attraction is a turkey, there is also a turkey calling contest and the Miss Drumstick competition where the contestants show only their legs.
I am beginning to think that the random dinosaur is a staple at all local events in Arkansas.
Because of, or maybe in spite of, the abundance of wild turkey in this area, someone decided that it would be fun (for the turkey?) to be tossed off the roof of the court house building in the town square. At the time this was aptly called the 'Turkey Toss'. In the 60’s the game was changed to the ‘Turkey Drop’ as the turkeys were dropped from a low-flying airplane that circled the square.
Naturally, this was met with some complaints with animal rights activists. The Turkey Trot Festival went on without the Turkey Drop for a couple of years.
In 1990, the town of Yellville started taking the position of ignorance over the Turkey Drop. Somehow, someway, about four or five times a day during the two day festival, a strange and mysterious plane flies low over the town square and out fall anywhere from one to three turkeys. The city officials have no idea where the plane or the turkeys come from.
The turkeys are not provided parachutes.
I do not make any judgement on tossing live critters from moving airplanes over large crowds of people.
I enjoyed myself looking at all the wares that were for sale and especially with the people watching. The square was crowded, all the local restaurants were overflowing with people. It was amusing to watch everyone’s reaction whenever a plane would fly overhead.
Quick! Quick! Look! Up in the sky! Is it? Is it? Nope, not this time.
Quick! Quick! Look! Up in the sky! Is it? Is it? Yes! Yes, it is! DUCK!!! I mean TURKEY!!!
Have the BEST day ever!
~ Dorothy
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