Hedley enjoys large crowd at 50th festival

Cheryl Johnson, Clarendon Enterprise

The fate of Hedley’s annual Cotton Festival still hangs the balance following a successful 50th anniversary celebration last Friday and Saturday.

Attendance was better this year than previous years, and Janie Hill with the Hedley Homemakers said she thought the festival went well.

“It was one of the biggest we’ve had as far as people coming back [to Hedley],” Hill said. “If we knew we were going to have that kind of response every year, we could do it again.”

Mary Farris, who organized the Hedley school reunion, said her event saw its largest turn out in ten years, but she’s not sure about the future of the festival, although there will be another reunion next year at Cotton Festival time.

“Some say ‘yes’ and some say ‘no,’ but since we’re having the reunion I think we’ll have something [for the festival,]” Farris said. “We had a super nice time.”

Planning for a possible 51st Cotton Festival is months away as community organizations reflect on this year’s golden anniversary.

The 2001 festival started Friday, October 12, with the Lioness Club kicked things off with a Stew and Chili Supper. Terry Hickey of Hedley was the lucky winner of the quilt that was raffled off at the supper.

On Saturday morning, the Antique Tractor Show got underway. The show was sponsored by the Hedley Volunteer Fire Department, but results were not available at press time. The Lions Club served barbecue to over 250 folks at the Lions Hall for lunch.

The Kiddie Parade followed lunch with “Homeland Defense,” led by Zack, MarLee, and Jasie Sargent and Nathan Hoggatt, winning first place. Branson Cruse and the Howard Family Patriots took second and third place respectively.

In the Grand Parade, the Owens family’s float took first place honors in the float division as well as the overall grand prize. Breanne Chase riding on the tropical float placed second, and the Methodist and Baptist churches’ “Light of the World” float placed third.

Alvie Ray placed first in the decorated vehicle category with Sierra Wheatly placing second, and Elva Davis and the girls placed third.

Tiffany Allen Wilkinson riding in a chariot pulled by a mule placed first in the riding club category. The Khiva Shrine Mule Skinners from Amarillo placed second in that category with “Bubba” Thomas placing third.

The Hedley FFA held Bingo throughout the day at the Senior Citizens Center. Winners of the blackout bingo for two quilts were Mark Montgomery and Michelle Clubb. Brady Montgomery was the winner of a knife that was also given away during a blackout bingo game.

After the parade, an ex-students and ex-teachers reunion was held at the First Baptist Church Activity Center with 223 people registering. The Classes of ’61 and ’67 also held their individual class reunions at the same time. Several teachers were in attendance as well.

Saturday evening, Breanne Chase was crowned the 2001-02 Cotton Queen during the Queen’s Coronation in the Hedley School Gymnasium. Sierra Wheatly was crowned the Cotton Princess. The Queen’s Court included Christmas Murrell, Bobbie Morris, Jennifer Williams, Cassie Moore, and Marissa Wells. Contestants in the Princess contest included Timber Burnam, Tamra Burnam, and Harley Hanes. A presentation of 50 years of Queens was also given during the Coronation.

Mickey Seeman of New Mexico, grandmother of Queen contestant Christmas Murrell, was the winner of the bale of cotton given away at the Queen’s Coronation, which was sponsored by the Hedley Homemakers Club.