PUXICO, Mo. -- If thoughts of goat burgers are tantalizing your taste buds, youngsters are begging to join in the turtle walk and frog jump or you want to visit with friends you haven't seen this year, you are probably planning to attend the 71st Annual V.F.W. Homecoming Tuesday - Saturday, Aug. 8-12, in Puxico,.
The bill for the 1,600 pounds of goat meat has arrived, said Puxico Mayor Rick McLean, who also is the V.F.W. quartermaster. McLean, along with other VFW and Auxiliary members, business people and community members are putting the finishing touches on plans started a year ago.
"We started last year immediately after homecoming planning for this year," said McLean predicting, the "goat meat will all be gone."
The meat came from about 90 goats, which were slaughtered by a processor in Dexter, Mo..
According to McLean, "Back in the olden days we just had seven or eight goats, and today, we have 90. It is an expensive deal. We make very little money once we buy the goats and have them processed. Any money made at homecoming is used to donate to organizations, burnout victims and scholarships."
The goat burgers, pork and hamburgers will be served from the Eat Shack. McLean said, volunteers are putting the final touches not only on the Eat Shack, but a couple of new sections are being constructed for the dance floor. Square dancing is held each night of homecoming.
McLean remembers years back when old timers would work in an eat shack made in 2x4-feet sections held together with door hinges.
There would be a window where people would place orders. "It took quite a few more people to keep it going," he said. The workers would use two blue galvanized pans; one of goat meat and one for pork. The hamburgers were grilled on top of a four-burner stove.
Today, the modernized eat shack has come a long way, he said. The grill holds 30 hamburgers, and the workers are able to rotate them on the warmers. The Eat Shack today is designed to sell out of four windows, which speeds up the process.
McLean wants to tell everyone two events added after the souvenir programs were printed are the turtle walk and frog jump sponsored by Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. The turtle walk will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and the frog jump will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Both event will be in the park.
Other activities include:
TUESDAY - Aug. 8
10 a.m. -- Official Opening
6:30 p.m. -- Midway Opens
6:30-10:30 p.m. --Bracelet Night on the Midway
7 p.m.--Pre- Queen Contest Ceremonies in Veterans Park
Immediately following speeches --
Little Miss Puxico contest
Immediately after Little Miss--
Miss Puxico contest
10:30 p.m.--Attendance Drawing
WEDNESDAY - Aug. 9
7 p.m. -- Church Night - Veterans Park
6:30 - 10:30 p.m. -- Bracelet Night
10:30 p.m. -- Attendance Drawing
THURSDAY - Aug. 10
8 a.m.-- Goat Burger Golf Classic
Ozark Ridge Golf Course - Poplar Bluff
6:30 - 10:30 p.m. -- Bracelet Night
7:00 p.m.-- Puxico Band in Veterans Park
10:30 p.m. -- Attendance drawing
FRIDAY- Aug. 11
10 a.m. -- Baby Contest
6:30- 10:30 p.m. -- Bracelet Night
6:00 p.m. -- Alumni Meeting in Puxico School Cafeteria
7:00 p.m. -- Greater Praise Reunited Trio, The Mitchells & Greater Vision Choir
11 p.m. -- Attendance Drawing
SATURDAY - Aug. 12
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Mingo Tractor Club Show
1 p.m. -- Parade
10 a.m. -4 p.m. -- Berry-Glenn Museum Quilt Show
7 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Heartland Cruisers Cars on display at the museum
1 - 4 p.m.--Children's Bracelet Matinee
4 p.m.--Children's Attendance Drawing
6:30 - 10:30 p.m. -- Bracelet Night
7- 9 p.m. -- Steve Dixon, The Illusionist
11 p.m. -- Attendance Drawing