Have you ever been to the Fellsmere Florida Frog Leg Festival or the Duck Tape Festival in Avon Ohio? How about the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw? America’s small-town festivals celebrate just about everything from the classic springtime cherry festivals scattered across the northwest, to somewhat more unique celebrations like the Bean Fest and the Great Championship Outhouse Race which takes place every October in Mountain View, Arkansas. Everyone knows that festivals are loads of fun but they also help rural communities create a sense of identity and community cohesion.
According to Robert Wuthnow, a Princeton Sociologist, and author of Small-Town America: Finding Community, Shaping the Future, small towns are not so different from big cities, but the way that small towns define themselves and create community is different. Most small towns across America consider themselves unique in some way, and these local celebrations offer an opportunity for individuals to come together and collectively celebrate what is unique about their community. Last weekend’s River Festival in conjunction with Art on the Green shows that Green River is no exception.
Community festivals are studied by sociologists, anthropologists, tourism professionals and marketing gurus because they offer a glimpse into social identity, history and world view of a particular group of people living in a particular place and time. That little piece of the country then often clearly reflects aspects of the greater American culture. Festivals also serve to preserve local heritage and support the economy. To develop and sustain a sense of community is hard work and what that actually looks like evolves over time. Surely the Sweetwater County Museum could list many celebrations that no longer take place here in Green River, probably because the changing times made them less meaningful.
We are fortunate to live in a community that enjoys coming together, in the summer season alone there are too many events to count, ranging in style from the Library’s Medieval Fair to the Rodeo.
In the autumn and winter we have Trunk or Treat and the Crystal Classic. And although there may be an argument that Green River doesn’t have room for any more events, we have some pretty big anniversaries coming up. In 2018 the city will celebrate its 150th Anniversary.
And the historic John Wesley Powell party set forth from Expedition Island in 1869, so 2019 will give us yet another reason to celebrate the culture and history of this great town.
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