Hot Springs gears up for 65th Homesteader Days

HOT SPRINGS – The town of Hot Springs is running through its final preparations as the 65th annual Homesteader Days celebration kicks off next weekend.

The annual festivities will begin at noon on Friday, June 13 and finish up on Sunday, June 15.

The weekend celebration marks the original settlers of the Hot Springs area, who carved their homes out of the untamed wilderness.

During the monthly Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce meeting on Thursday, June 5, final details about the event were ironed out, as the town gets ready for the big weekend.

“Everything is moving along and we are pretty much ready to go,” Leslee Smith, president of the chamber of commerce said.

The three-day event starts on Friday, when food booths, vendors and arts and crafts tents will fill Main Street throughout the afternoon, from noon to five p.m.  

Homesteader Days will also feature an open rodeo at the arena on Broadway with events starting on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

The rodeo will include bull riding, steer wrestling and calf roping among several other events that will take place over the course of both days.

The Homesteader Days Car Show will return for its second year, following a large turnout and positive reviews after the debut show last summer.

The show will be hosted on Saturday, with individuals displaying their prized vehicles at the high school football field from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., before moving to Main Street, where the show will continue before winding down around 4:30 p.m.

Participants in the car show are encouraged to take part in the Grand Parade, which will travel through Hot Springs at noon on Sunday.

The parade is also open to anyone who wishes to join in one of the final events of the big weekend.

“Anybody and everybody is encouraged to be in the parade,” Smith said.

The Grand Marshall for this year’s parade is Bud Bras of Lonepine, a longtime resident of the area.

Bras, affectionately referred to as the godfather of Lonepine, will be joined in the parade by the Great Scots Bagpipe Band.

Other events at the weekend festival include the annual Skunk Alley Run. Runners are encouraged to meet at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at Wall Street Place before setting off.

The run features both a 3k and 10k event.

Saturday will also feature a kiddy parade; kiddy games, a ducky race and a doll show at the LaRue Hot Springs Museum at noon.

The doll show will also be held on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

For those looking for evening entertainment on the second day of the festival, there will be a street dance, taking place on Main Street from 9:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

The classic rock band, Electric Revival, will provide the tunes for the after dark dancing session.

The town of Hot Springs was successfully able to attain an open container waiver for this year’s celebration.

The small town of around 600 is sure to noticeably increase during the upcoming weekend as individuals from across the region head to take part in the historic celebration.

On the final day of the weekend there will be a breakfast at Masonic Lodge from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The Homesteader Reunion will take place at the Senior Center, following the conclusion of the grand parade.

The weekend is a chance for residents and visitors to reflect on the long history of the town, and the long run of the celebration itself as it approaches its seventh decade.