Community holds 124th-annual Hopkins Picnic

For the last 124 years, the town of Hopkins has held an annual picnic celebrating the community.

This year was no exception, as hundreds descended on the town for the three-day long event.

The festival kicked off with a pet show on Thursday, followed by the Little Mr. and Miss Hopkins contest and a performance by the In Motion Dance Studio.

Thursday's headliner was Curtis Wayne Stroud, a free concert sponsored by the Hopkins Community Club and KNIM.

That evening also saw an arm band rides, which allowed for unlimited rides at the carnival put on by Toby's Amusements.

Friday night events included the Gramps and Granny show at the Roxy, a performance by Miss Whitney's Elite School of Dance and musical talent from Dennis White, Brooke Turner and the Rockin' D Band, sponsored by Tri-State Ford.

Saturday began with a bicycle ride at 9 a.m., the kiddie parade and antique tractor show/parade in the afternoon along with the Boy Scout car show.

Close to 50 tractors were entered in the tractor show, a number Hopkins Community Club co-presidents Cane and Bobbi Oberhauser said is always consistent.

"They come from all over," Cane Oberhauser said. "We have people from Iowa, some from down south, just all over the area."

The Boy Scout car show was held for the first time at this year's event, and saw many entrees.

The kids' pedal pull took place before a performance by the North Nodaway cheerleaders and the Maryville Dance Academy on Saturday.

The Phil Forney Band was the headline show Saturday night, another free event sponsored by Tri-State Ford.

Other events took place throughout the picnic, including a quilt show and craft displays.

Day events saw most people clinging to the shade, but as the sun went down, numbers went up, Oberhauser said.

"We'va had a great turnout despite the heat," Oberhauser said. "This is really a whole-town effort. We [Hopkins Community Club] have a lot of help from everyone in town."

Oberhauser said that the Hopkins Community Club is looking to plan something special for next year's picnic, which will mark the 125th year of the festival.