Sometimes the most consistent traditions are the most welcomed.
The Jamestown Lions Club Labor Day Celebration returned for its 60th edition this year from Friday to Monday. Locals and residents all throughout Moniteau County came to enjoy the four-day celebration of fun, sun and hometown festivities at Jamestown Lions Club Park.
The four-day Co-Ed and Men's softball tournaments kicked things off on Friday along with a tractor pull event and a beer garden. Saturday provided a TT (motorcycle) race and the celebration's 16th Annual Car Show. Sunday offered the most to attendees beginning with the Jamestown Future Farmers of America Breakfast in the morning; a community worship service afterdward; then horseshoe, cornhole and washers tournaments and ATV and UTV rodeo during the day and movie night for families and children in the evening. Monday closed everything out with a barbecue pork and beef dinner, bingo, kids games and the end of the softball tournaments.
"It's been going on for years. It's something that started actually down at the school, originally, and it's kind of migrated up here to the park," Jamestown Lions Club member Jon Imhoff said. "I think with the way the weather is this weekend...we should have a big crowd. I think today and tomorrow and, well, the rest of the weekend."
Imhoff said proceeds from this year's celebration will go into developing and expanding the park for the future. New renovations will offer additional functions and services, giving back to community members.
"We could not put this on without the community. We have a ton of volunteers that work all the different events. All the money stays here locally in the community - actually in this park," Imhoff said. "We haven't done any major renovations for several years, but we're getting ready to completely redo our bathrooms. Here at the park we're wanting to put in a new shelter house, our shelter house is getting pretty old And then we'd, eventually, like to add on our shelter area on the back of our community building. So, probably as soon as this event is over and the school baseball and softball is over for this fall, we'll start renovating our bathrooms and if we have enough money, probably a new shelter house. Hopefully that all gets done before next year, but we'll just see how the weekend goes."