SPECIAL TO YOUR TIMES, BY AMIE REMER

Plans are now coming together for the second annual Red Fern Festival to be held this year on Nov. 8.

Suzanne Sullivan, event planner, said, "This event is a community-wide celebration of all that we do, so everyone is invited to get involved, whether in the planning process, having a booth for food, arts and crafts or sharing your music. We'd love to have all of our local fiddlers and musicians come play and groups sing. We just need to know who those folks are so we can schedule them a time."

According to Sullivan, Sherry Pickle is organizing a children's pageant for ages 0-10 years, or through the fifth grade, which will be held at 10 a.m. in the downtown park gazebo. Entry applications can be picked up at Armstrong Bank, Eddie's Drive-In and Town Hall. More information on the pageant can be obtained by contacting Pickle at (918) 398-4022 or (918) 773-2555.

This year's Maiden Fern and her Maiden Fern Court will be selected from junior high and senior high school girls. Anyone interested in competing for this title and a $100 cash scholarship and crown must submit an essay about her family heritage and how it relates to Vian, or how her family came to be in Vian.

"The contestants also need to submit a list of their community service involvement and write a paragraph about their vision for Vian and the role they envision playing in helping that vision become a reality," Sullivan said.

Nominations will be taken for a woman in the community to reign as the Mother Fern during the festival. Letters of recommendation, similar to those for Vian's Favorite Daughter award, may be submitted by mail to VCCT, P. O. Box 505, Vian, Okla. 74962. Sullivan said a committee would select Mother Fern from the letters of recommendation.

Other activities for the day so far include an art show and sale, a quilt contest, pie contest, homemade jelly and jam contest, petting zoo, face painting, antique tractor show, and a chuck wagon and horse and buggy exhibit.

"We are hoping to have pony rides, hay rides, pumpkin carving, a horseshoe competition and a Pow Wow, and would love to have a coon hunt, a big buck contest and an archery exhibit and competition," Sullivan said.

A coed softball tournament is being planned for the day, as well as two Little League football games for the third and fourth graders and fifth and sixth graders.

The day will be capped off with a concert in the high school auditorium which is being billed as "An Acoustic Evening" with Heath Wright of Ricochet, Jerrod Neison, co-writer of Garth Brooks number one hit song, "Good Ride, Cowboy," and Tim Sullivan of Durango, Colo., Massachusetts Songwriter of the Year.

"This will be an intimate evening of acoustical music you won't want to miss," Sullivan said.

Advance tickets will be on sale for $10 at Armstrong Bank, Simon's Ace Hardware and town hall. The concert will begin at 8 p.m. and tickets will also be available at the door.

Anyone wishing to participate in any way, whether with planning, ideas, booths or activities can contact Sullivan at 773-8930 or 773-7362 or Linda Ball at 773-8028. Food vendors will be charged a fee of $50 with all other vendors required $20 per booth.

"Mark your calendars and bring your lawn chairs and don't miss out on a community-wide day of fun," Sullivan said.