HOMECOMERS BEGINS TUESDAY: AMERICAN LEGION PREPARES FOR EVENT

Above, Jade Sander takes a ride at last year's Homecomers. Right, Jackson's mural unveled last year welcomes Homecomers.

Time for preparation for this year's Homecomers is about up, on Tuesday the annual event will begin.

It has been 89 years since the first Homecomers in Jackson and Tuesday through Saturday the street in uptown Jackson will once again be crowded with homecomers.

Bill Poe, Homecomers chairman, said that Homecomers will begin with a performance by the Jackson Municipal Band and a speech by Jackson Mayor Paul Sander. Tuesday night will conclude with Norman Tushhoff's band, Country Touch performing with the Hagg Sisters.

Wednesday through Friday the talent show will be the featured entertainment and on Saturday the courthouse lawn will be the focus as the 1997 Homecomers Queen is crowned.

Homecomers will once again have a carnival from United Expositions, a DeSoto, Mo., company. The carnival will be open each day around 6 p.m. during the week. Bracelet night will be held on Thursday night with all people with a bracelet will pay one admission price to ride the rides.

And as always there will be plenty of food and drinks for hungry homecomers.

Streets uptown will be blocked off throughout the week to accommodate the large crowds that attend Homecomers.

Poe said it is tough to estimate the size of the crowd, but "I'm expecting a bumper crowd.".

"I've heard people say there were 10,000 people there but who knows how many will be there. On Saturday night the crowd is so large you can't elbow your way through," Poe said.

Poe said that people come to Homecomers to meet new friends and greet old ones.

"Around Christmas time I get calls from people wanting to know when Homecomers is, so they can plan their vacation at that time," Poe said.

"I think every community should have a festival," Poe added.

Poe has worked with Homecomers for more than 35 years and he has been with the American Legion for 45 years.

Poe is involved with the American Legion on a national, state and local level. He is on the national security commission, the state finance commission and locally he is the Homecomers chairman, chairman of the club room, service officer and on the membership committee.

"American Legion is my whole life, I enjoy it. I've missed six meetings in 45 years and I've signed up 100 members 44 times," Poe said.

Poe will busy himself at Homecomers by selling raffle tickets. The three prizes are two $500 worth of groceries and one prize of 250 gallons of gas. There will also be attendance prizes each night. Five lucky ticket holders each night can win $20 gift certificates to Jackson businesses.

Emogene Schnurbusch, pageant chairman, said that the Homecomers Queen Contest will be held on Saturday night with entertainment beginning at 7 p.m. and the pageant will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The theme of the pageant is "Cinderella." Matt Martin will play keyboards for the pageant and Kirk Williams is the master of ceremonies.

The pageant, which is held in front of the courthouse on the stage, will judge each contestant individually on poise, personality and how they answer their question.

The judges for the pageant will remain anonymous until the pageant, according to Schnurbusch.

There will be at least 18 contestants between the ages of 16-19 competing for the first prize of $150, Schnurbusch said. Second prize is $100 and third prize is $50.

"We want the girls to meet new friends and have a good time," Schnurbusch said.

Homecomers also will have a talent show on the stage in front of the courthouse from Wednesday through Friday night with the winners of the age group 13-21 to be invited to the Mid-South Fair in Memphis, Tenn., in September.

Wednesday will have acts other than dancing for ages 6-12 and 13-21. There will be no piano entrees as a piano will not be available. Wednesday's talent show begins at 8 p.m.

Thursday's talent show begins at 8 p.m. with dancing for ages 6-12 followed by dancers ages 13-21.

Friday night's talent show begins at 8 p.m. with finals for all winners.

Michael Proctor, concessions chairman, said that there will be 15 or more booths set up this year.

Some of the booths will be informational booths set up by the Chamber of Commerce booth, the National Guard, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

There will be plenty of food booths for visitors to sample from. The American Legion will have their traditional hamburger stand and the Optimist Club will have a fish and Polish sausage stand.

Proctor said that Pope's A & W will have a corndog stand and people can also enjoy funnel cakes at Dwayne Hanner's stand, corn on the cob and other cuisine at the other food stands.

The carnival will have a popcorn and cotton candy stand to add to the festival aroma in the air.

Proctor has been with the American Legion for 10 years and said he works with Homecomers because, "it is for the good of the community and the Legion."

Proctor started before June looking for businesses, community groups and people to set up booths.

He will oversee the concession stands and help with any problems that may arise. He will also work at the Legion hamburger stand. Proctor said that more than 100 of Jackson's 656-member American Legion Post will volunteer there time to make this year's Homecomers a great event.

There will be something for everyone at Homecomers.

"We've had some good times, it's a lot of hard work. As soon as it is over, we start planning on the next one," Poe said.

Homecomers began in 1908 and has been held virtually every year since then.