Purdy gears up for 9th annual festival, car show biggest yet
July 15, 2020
Kiddie carnival rides provided by Party Station of Nixa are always a hit at the Purdy Festival.
Sheila Harris
The 9th Annual Purdy Festival is scheduled for this Saturday, July 18.
According to festival committee spokesperson, Renae Neill, this year’s event will boast many of the same activities as in year’s past, including free kiddie carnival rides brought by Party Station in Nixa.
“In addition to outside food vendors, we’ll have lots of craft and vendor booths set up inside the gymnasium where it’s nice and cool,” Neill said.
According to Neill, one major change to this year’s itinerary will be the return of the FFA-sponsored petting zoo, which will be set up under a tent to provide shade for the little ones: both children and livestock. The petting zoo will take the place of the FFA Livestock Show at the festival this year.
“We had the petting zoo in years past, and it was always a huge hit with the younger kids,” Neill said.
A perennial favorite at the festival, for contestants and spectators alike, are the bathtub races, which are expected to begin around 2 p.m.
Austin Drake, the organizer for this year’s festival car show, “Thunder in the Park,” anticipates that this year’s show will be bigger and better than ever. The entry fee is $20 per car, with no pre-registration required. Opening time for the event is scheduled for 8 a.m.
Drake, who travels the car show circuit throughout the Midwest and beyond with his 1972 restored, red and white Chevy pickup, has many connections with both car show enthusiasts and the companies who sponsor them throughout the United States.
“I hope to see Purdy’s car show entries stretched from one end of town to the other, and possibly all the way out to Highway 37,” he said. “It could happen. Some of the larger Midwest shows – some which typically see a turnout of about 2,000 cars - have canceled their events due to COVID-19, so a lot of the contestants have plans to come to Purdy instead. Parts City, a major auto parts retailer, has been advertising the event on their corporate website as well.”
This is Drake’s second year to organize Purdy Festival’s car show.
“Last year,” he said, “it was kind of thrown on me at the last minute, so I didn’t have a lot of time to organize. This year, though, I’ve had almost all year to plan for this weekend’s event. We have lots of great prizes for participants and winners. Awards go to the top five cars in each class, plus Best Custom, Best Paint, “Best Engine,” Best Interior, 89 and Under Best in Show, and 90 and Above Best in Show.”
Something new to the car show this year, according to Drake, are the customized valve-cover races, with prizes for ages 13 and under, and ages 14 and up.
“With the help of local sponsors, we have $800 dollars in gifts and merchandise to raffle, plus some really great music lined up, including the Eddie Valen Band and Brian Lee Dunning, who performs the music of Elvis and Johnny Cash,” Drake added.
Shortly before noon, according to Drake, activity will pause while the band plays the national anthem. This will be followed by “thunder in the park,” when all cars will rev up their engines simultaneously.
According to organizer, Michelle Jones, a reception for area veterans will be held in the park pavilion from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. She encourages veterans to stop in for refreshments.
A car parade through the streets of Purdy will wrap up the car show around 3 p.m, with a cruise-in at Angus Branch in Monett planned afterward.
According to Renae Neill, all events at the festival are scheduled to wrap up at 3 p.m. this year, heralded by the popular “Firemen Cool-off,” when fire hoses will be turned on in the street to allow kids – and maybe a few adults – to refresh themselves in the water.
The 9th Annual Purdy Festival is scheduled for this Saturday, July 18.
According to festival committee spokesperson, Renae Neill, this year’s event will boast many of the same activities as in year’s past, including free kiddie carnival rides brought by Party Station in Nixa.
“In addition to outside food vendors, we’ll have lots of craft and vendor booths set up inside the gymnasium where it’s nice and cool,” Neill said.
According to Neill, one major change to this year’s itinerary will be the return of the FFA-sponsored petting zoo, which will be set up under a tent to provide shade for the little ones: both children and livestock. The petting zoo will take the place of the FFA Livestock Show at the festival this year.
“We had the petting zoo in years past, and it was always a huge hit with the younger kids,” Neill said.
A perennial favorite at the festival, for contestants and spectators alike, are the bathtub races, which are expected to begin around 2 p.m.
Austin Drake, the organizer for this year’s festival car show, “Thunder in the Park,” anticipates that this year’s show will be bigger and better than ever. The entry fee is $20 per car, with no pre-registration required. Opening time for the event is scheduled for 8 a.m.
Drake, who travels the car show circuit throughout the Midwest and beyond with his 1972 restored, red and white Chevy pickup, has many connections with both car show enthusiasts and the companies who sponsor them throughout the United States.
“I hope to see Purdy’s car show entries stretched from one end of town to the other, and possibly all the way out to Highway 37,” he said. “It could happen. Some of the larger Midwest shows – some which typically see a turnout of about 2,000 cars - have canceled their events due to COVID-19, so a lot of the contestants have plans to come to Purdy instead. Parts City, a major auto parts retailer, has been advertising the event on their corporate website as well.”
This is Drake’s second year to organize Purdy Festival’s car show.
“Last year,” he said, “it was kind of thrown on me at the last minute, so I didn’t have a lot of time to organize. This year, though, I’ve had almost all year to plan for this weekend’s event. We have lots of great prizes for participants and winners. Awards go to the top five cars in each class, plus Best Custom, Best Paint, “Best Engine,” Best Interior, 89 and Under Best in Show, and 90 and Above Best in Show.”
Something new to the car show this year, according to Drake, are the customized valve-cover races, with prizes for ages 13 and under, and ages 14 and up.
“With the help of local sponsors, we have $800 dollars in gifts and merchandise to raffle, plus some really great music lined up, including the Eddie Valen Band and Brian Lee Dunning, who performs the music of Elvis and Johnny Cash,” Drake added.
Shortly before noon, according to Drake, activity will pause while the band plays the national anthem. This will be followed by “thunder in the park,” when all cars will rev up their engines simultaneously.
According to organizer, Michelle Jones, a reception for area veterans will be held in the park pavilion from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. She encourages veterans to stop in for refreshments.
A car parade through the streets of Purdy will wrap up the car show around 3 p.m, with a cruise-in at Angus Branch in Monett planned afterward.
According to Renae Neill, all events at the festival are scheduled to wrap up at 3 p.m. this year, heralded by the popular “Firemen Cool-off,” when fire hoses will be turned on in the street to allow kids – and maybe a few adults – to refresh themselves in the water.