Over the years, I’ve written countless editorials on a variety of topics.
Every so often, I like to use my column space as a way to give a public shut out to members of the community for something they have done that deserves recognition.
My first shoutout goes to the organizers and employees at the Junk Fest hosted this past Saturday at E. Marie’s Antique Mall & Boutique.
There were approximately 1,200 people who attended the event, enjoying the variety of items for sale from 48 outside vendors and around 165 vendors inside.
I know this event was established way before this past Saturday, but this was the first Junk Fest that I’ve personally ever attended.
As a fan of the TV show “Flea Market Flip,” it felt as if HGTV could film an episode right here in Mountain Grove some day.
I enjoyed attending the event early to take pictures and just watching countless items being purchased and taken back to the vehicles of the many people who attended the event.
There was such a variety of items for sale and truly something for everybody was on display.
To think, around 1,200 people made coming to Mountain Grove on that day as one of their main Saturday plans. Many of these same people also filled their vehicles up with gas in town and perhaps bought something to eat at one of our local restaurants. They may have stayed to check out other retailers.
Though this event has happened before, we should never take for granted that it brings more than 1,000 people to our community.
New owner Cheyanne Fisher and her staff should be commended for how smooth the event went.
My second shoutout goes to those responsible for the fire pit display area in honor of Jessica Bledsoe, who recently lost her life after a fighting a hard battle with cancer.
The breathtaking display includes a fire pit in her memory with handmade tables and chairs from the folks at the Earth Outdoor Store.
A bird house was also donated by Back in Time Antiques and Mercantile. Meanwhile, City of Mountain Grove employees donated their own money as some extra funds were also given generously to the youth group at Mountain Grove Family Church.
This truly was a touching way to remember a person loved in the community and a great way to celebrate Jessica’s memory. And what a special way to take care of our police chief and his family during this time of loss.
Again, everyone involved should be commended for this kind act.
