Melissa Lowery/Special to The Gazette
TEG
Monday, August 1, 2016
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By Melissa Lowery
Special to The Gazette
Temperatures and humidity
climbed on Saturday, but that didn’t
seem to bother attendees at the inaugural Barnstock music festival.
The festival took place at The
Ole’ Red Barn, a recently-renovated
1927 barn located a few miles south
of Hartford. Three bands entertained
the crowds from 3 p.m. - midnight,
playing a mixture of rock, alternative
Americana and country.
Barnstock is the result of a collaboration between radio stations
KISS 103.1, KSNP 97.7 the Dawg,
Dust and Rust Band and property
owners Richard and Dee Meyer.
“We want to promote local music,”
Dee Meyer said of the mission behind
the event. “All the bands are pretty
local and the vendors are as well. We
also just want everybody to have a
good time out here.”
The event also gave the historic
barn new purpose. The Meyers began
restoring the building in 2013, first
rebuilding the windows and doors,
then replacing the siding and roof,
rebuilding the cupola and applying a
fresh coat of paint. At the time, the
Meyers indicated they wanted to use
the barn for special events and agrotourism, as opposed to the dwelling
place for horses and a repository for
hay as it had been used for in the past.
In September 2015, the Meyers
hosted the Kansas Barn Alliance’s annual Barnfest, a day-long symposium
on preserving historical barns. A dinner and dance capped the event, with
PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895
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Commercial Street was
lined with well-wishers
Saturday morning for the
43rd Annual Kansas Shrine
Bowl Parade. The Shriners,
clowns, cartoon characters,
public servants and AllStar Football Players,
bands and cheerleaders
delighted the crowd.
WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM
Barnstock brings
live music to
Hartford
attendees praising the Meyers’ restoration efforts.
Since then the location has been
the site of a wedding, a couple of
dances and individual band performances. When they were approached
about hosting a music festival last
winter, the Meyers took some time to
think about it and explore the logistics of hosting such an event. In the
end, they decided to try something
new for the area.
“This is the first time we’ve ever
done something of this scale,” Richard Meyer said. “It’s something so different than anything else happening
around here.”
“It’s definitely outside the box,”
Dee agreed.
“You know, it’s a good location,
a good backdrop, we have the space
for parking, so why not give it a try?”
Richard said.
The event included three bands
— headliners Dust and Rust Band as
well as Highway 75 and Lowwater.
Festivalgoers enjoyed food from
Hogman’s BBQ and Catering from
Waverly as well as a variety of beverages. For more adventurous types,
Humboldt Helicopters offered aerial views of the countryside. Neosho County Paranormal Investigators
were also on hand to discuss their
work and investigated the barn itself
for any paranormal activity.
“We’re in the clear,” Richard Meyer said. “They told us we were good
to go.”
Organizers tried to keep expecPlease see Barnstock, Page 3
Courtesy photo
Cats, dogs, snakes and rabbits; fair begins with 4-H shows
Melissa Lowery/Special to The Gazette
Left, RayAnne Herron scratches her pet pig, Carrot. Right, Lilly Parks and Bugs the
lionhead bunny wait their turn at the 4-H Cat and Hand Pet Show on Sunday.
By Melissa Lowery
Special to The Gazette
Melissa Lowery/Special to The Gazette
VOL. 125, NO. 26
Spencer Fox discusses his Kansas City Royalsthemed cat carrier with a judge at the 4-H Cat
and Hand Pet Show on Sunday.
The carnival rides might
not be open yet, but the
Lyon County Fair began for
4-Hers this weekend with
judging in a variety of categories, including two domestic animal shows.
Dogs took center stage
at the Anderson Building
on Friday night during
the Dog Showmanship
and Obedience Competi-
tion. Judge Helen Ramsey
of Lyndon examined
each dog and asked their
young handlers questions
about breed, age and care.
During the showmanship
competition, each handler
took their dog around the
ring several times without
stopping. The obedience
competition required the
dogs and handlers to show
knowledge of different
commands such as normal,
slow, fast, halt and finish.
Ramsey provided some
on-site instruction during
and after the competitions,
pointing out areas for improvement and demonstrating proper pacing.
Corinne Patterson, 4-H
Youth Development Extension Agent with K-State Research and Extension, said
participating in the dog
show teaches the kids
more than how to walk a
Please see Fair, Page 3