Berries late, but festival a hit

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS May 13, 2008 03:25 pm

— From the comfort of the lap of her grandmother, Joanne Pippin, 2-year-old Carter Miggletto watched her daddy, Shelldon, get dunked Saturday.
The Strawberry Capital of Oklahoma celebrated its 61st annual festival, with a strawberry auction, queen crowning, school reunion, powwow, rodeo, arts and crafts, carnival, live music, 5K Run and more.
Eating a powdered sugar-coated funnel cake, Dusty Miggletto, Carter’s mother, said the parade was pretty enjoyable.
“Especially the float with the kids having a boxing match. It was good,” she said.
Seeing people they haven’t seen in a while, and general people-watching, are two reasons visitors come to experience the Strawberry Festival.
But the strawberries are the main reason. There were enough berries for the competition and auction, but few available for sale.
“We’ve got berries; they will be at the Farmers Market on Wednesday and Saturday,” Strawberry grower Bobbie Doyle said, “We have a very good berry crop; they’re just very, very late. It’s hard to grow strawberries in ice.”
Kiwanian Liz Brown was taking photos of the winning strawberries and their ribbons.
“It’s the first day we’ve had berries to sell, I believe,” she said.
Long-time strawberry grower Harrold Brannon was wearing her strawberry shirt and waiting for the auction.
“I picked 20 flats of strawberries. They sold in about two minutes,” Brannon said, “for $25 a flat.”
He’s also selling berries at the Farmers Market, along with onions and poke.
Getting younger growers interested in strawberries is a goal of many of the growers, including Brannon.
His niece, Lana Matthews, said her girls were up at 6:30, helping pick. “They’ll have show berries next year,” Matthews said. “They’ve already planted.”
Johnny Matthews said his grandpa and uncle started growing strawberries in 1947, and his uncle, Harrold, still grows them.
“He wants the younger kids to get involved,” Matthews said.
Betty Barker, at the Chamber of Commerce tent, got tired of telling people there were no berries for sale.
“People don’t seem to understand when we say we don’t have berries,” Barker said. “We will next week. We can’t control the weather.”
Barker has never missed a single one of the 61 Strawberry Festivals, one of the oldest such events in Oklahoma. “I’ve seen a lot of changes since it started” Barker said. “The queen and her court are my favorite float. They’re so precious.”
Sam Hoyt, 10, hopped up on the four-wheeler being given away by Kiwanis Club as a fundraiser this year, and took an imaginary ride.
“The festival is really fun,” Sam said, “You get to do a lot of things and eat food you usually don’t eat, like funnel cake and a big turkey leg. And you get to meet people you’ve never met before.”
Music ranged from show choirs in the morning and live bands throughout the day – including Hazzard as the featured band, Paul’s Mission, Powerhouse Church and Tick Fever.
“I think the music is holding them,” said Kiwanian Larry Adair, selling four-wheeler tickets along with Jim Panter.
The four-wheeler the club gave away last year was easier to sell than the trucks they sold tickets for the past couple of years.
“All family members can enjoy a four-wheeler, adults and children,” Adair said. “Last year, it did well. It’s a popular item.
The winner was announced at the rodeo Saturday night.
“IPRA national championship rodeo draws some of the top contenders to Stilwell,” Adair said. The IPRA rodeo has been going nonstop for 60 years.”
Parking places were a premium, and the streets were crowded with visitors toting children, pushing strollers and carrying gift items. Sitting around the courthouse lawn, people were eating and relaxing.
Adair was among those looking forward to the reunion Saturday evening, which would include honoring Charlie Soap as Stilwell High School Outstanding Male Alumni and Allene M. Watkins as Outstanding Female Alumni.
Hugging a friend, Jean Ann Wright said family is what she loves about the Strawberry Festival. “My family is home,” Wright said. “It brings everyone back.”
Linda Ritter was selling a variety of decorative and fragrant household items in front of her daughter’s cafe.
“I like seeing everybody, people you haven’t seen for years,” Ritter said. “It’s exciting. And I like the entertainment on the bandstand.”
Raymond VanSycle, vice commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10829, enjoys the people, to talk to and to watch. He manned a recruiting booth with his brother, Rick VanSycle, post commander.
“We have face-painting to make money for the Voice of Democracy contest,” Raymond VanSycle said. “It’s open to kids from sixth grade to high school, with the top scholarship being $35,000.”
Hiram McFarland was carrying Ford Jackson, a twin, around the festival after his brother fell asleep. “It’s been a good one,” McFarland said. “The weather’s been nice to us. The strawberries and ice cream are coming up next, and everyone looks forward to that.”
Free strawberries and ice cream were served in the afternoon by newly crowned Queen Tawnie Goodwin, and members of the Kiwanis Club, to everyone who lined up.
When it comes to crusts or cakes, Adair summed it up best: “Strawberries and ice cream – just that! – is all I need.”

Photos

Since 1947, Harrold Brannon has been growing strawberries. He can tell the variety of berry by its color, shape and taste.