Bushwhacker Days!
Hi neighbors. Summer is always kicked off in Vernon County by the Vernon County Youth Fair Rodeo. What great fun that is!
Following right on the heels of the rodeo is the exciting and educational Bushwhacker Days! Celebrating Nevada and Vernon County’s history, Civil War battles, and subsequent growth, Bushwhacker Days offers plenty of entertainment and fun for the entire family.
I hope you’ve been attending the many special events sponsored by local businesses and organizations. I certainly remember working in various booths on the Square for whatever clubs myself or my children were a part of throughout several decades. I’ve kept busy participating in events from making ice cream to showing off the old jail.
Now that my children are grown and each June seems hotter than the one before, my visits to the Square during Bushwhacker Days are usually limited to one. Having it on the Nevada Square is a great idea because people can duck into local businesses and do some shopping in the air conditioning as they make their way around town.
One of my favorite events is the battle reenactments on the courthouse lawn. I pity the recruits from both sides of the war in those wool uniforms. At least none of these brave warriors fall in battle without being able to get back up and do it again. Although the running and shooting and yelling are consuming, I have to admit my reason for attending is to get a whiff or two of that black powder going off. Don’t know why but I love that smell and it fills the air while the re-enactors are busy on the Square.
Saturday is the day the Square is filled with vendor booths. Whether it be local organizations, like the Scouts or 4-H, or fraternities and clubs for adults everyone plays a part in the celebrations. There are traveling vendors as well who sell crafts, paintings, jewelry and various other things to the crowds who can’t get enough.
Food and drink sell as quickly as it can be served and candy and ice cream are also popular. Most of these food vendors are local organizations’ fundraisers to help them serve the community throughout the year.
Bushwhacker Days represent the small town, hometown celebrations that are annual events in every town in America. People like to get together and be reminded of the history of their locality and the roots of their own community of friends and family. Many families in the area have been here for more than one generation. Nevada is a fine place to live in and to be from. Lots of people return each year from wherever they now live to be a part of their hometown’s largest celebration.
It’s such an honor and privilege to live in Nevada and to be a part of these hometown celebrations that remain a deep-seated root that connects us to the land and the people. Everyone goes to the Bushwhacker Days events! You are bound to meet friends you haven’t seen in a while and learn something new about area history. Drop in and see the Bushwhacker Museum to learn more about Bushwhackers and the story of Bushwhacker Days.
So get to the Square today and see the sights, meet lifelong friends and help introduce Nevada and Vernon County to the many new visitors who stream in for the Bushwhacker celebrations. Have fun and stay cool!
See you on the Square!