MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
YODER, Kan. — Yoder will welcome visitors from across Kansas and beyond Saturday, Aug. 22, for the annual Yoder Heritage Day, a community celebration featuring horse events, live music, vendors, tractor pulls, handmade quilts, food and fireworks.
The celebration traces its roots to 1991, when Yoder held a community event connected to the town's centennial. Titus Yutzy with Yoder Heritage Day said the event drew a strong response and grew into an annual tradition.
Yutzy said Heritage Day has continued to grow, bringing visitors from Kansas as well as Oklahoma, Ohio, Missouri and other states. He said the event provides an opportunity to showcase Yoder's businesses, heritage and small-town atmosphere.
Planning for the event begins early in the year. A six-member board initially meets monthly before moving to weekly meetings as Heritage Day approaches. More than 100 volunteers are expected to help with setup, teardown and other activities.
Activities begin at 6 a.m. Saturday with a pancake and sausage feed that continues until 10:30 a.m.
Draft horse plowing begins at 8 a.m., giving visitors an opportunity to watch horses doing actual field work. The Heritage Demo and Vendor Village also open at 8 a.m., featuring crafts, merchandise and other displays. A booth will also provide information about efforts to develop a Yoder museum.
Live music begins at 8:30 a.m. with the Color Green Band. The Flannel Backs, making their first appearance at Yoder Heritage Day, are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Country Line Band, a four-person group from Ohio, will perform at 7 p.m. Fireworks will follow the evening entertainment.
The annual parade steps off at 10:30 a.m., with lineup starting at 9:30 a.m. Horses will lead the parade, continuing the event's strong emphasis on the area's horse and agricultural traditions.
Another attraction will be the quilt and craft auction. Organizers expect about 20 handmade quilts along with locally produced crafts, wall hangings and baby quilts.
Children can participate in the popular pedal pull, which typically attracts more than 100 entries. The day's pulling events will also include working trucks, working tractors and antique tractors.
A special attraction this year will be the Small-Town Riders drill team from Ohio. Yutzy said the group will join a lineup of horse-related activities that remain a major part of Heritage Day.
Heritage Day itself is free to attend, and there is no charge for parking. Food and some individual activities or items will have a cost. Organizers are also selling tickets for drawings as a fundraiser to help cover the expense of producing the event. Tickets are available ahead of Heritage Day at most Yoder merchants.
Yutzy said generations of families have made Heritage Day an annual tradition, with longtime visitors now bringing their children and grandchildren.
He said he hopes visitors come away with an appreciation for the "American small town farming community spirit" represented by Yoder Heritage Day while enjoying the food, entertainment and opportunity to visit with friends and neighbors.
The celebration will be held rain or shine. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and sunscreen.