Hot Springs celebrates with annual Homesteader Days

Driving into Hot Springs this past Sunday, a right turn sign said "yoga" and a left turn went into town where parade participants were beginning to line up for the 74th Annual Homesteader's Grand Parade. The parade was scheduled for noon. But by 10:30 a.m. the Plains Pharmacy float was in que.

People on the street were sitting and wandering around, listening to gospel/blues music by Brother Music, checking out the vendors, or playing yard games outside of The Barber Shop Beer Parlor.

The general consensus by local patrons was that It was a great weekend and a good turnout at the rodeo with the new bleachers and commented that there were more vendors, and music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Jered Littlefield, a visitor from Plains, has attended Homesteader Days several times over the past 16 years. He said he had come over the day before and had a" pretty good time." He was back on Sunday for the parade. "The Car Show was smaller than expected," Littlefield noted. "There were fewer cars than in the past years and the parade on Saturday was smaller than last year."

The parade had entries varying from horse and mule drawn wagons to Shriners on scooters. Smokey Bear rode in an ATV. The grand marshal was Maggie Goode who rode in a horse drawn wagon.