36th Annual Old Fashioned Trading Days kicks off Thursday

The addition of three-on-three basketball tournaments for both men and women and a performance by a Christian strongman group, which previously appeared on America’s Got Talent, are two of the major editions for this year’s 36^th Annual Old Fashioned Trading Days festival, which will take place Thursday through Saturday in Williamsburg.

Items like this coal carving will be among the many items for sale at Old Fashioned Trading Days.

“The entertainment is probably as good as we have ever had,” noted Williamsburg Tourism Director Alvin Sharpe.

Sharpe added that food booth spots are completely filled with only a handful of empty spots remaining for other vendors.

The Omega Force Strength Team, which describes itself as Christian strongmen with an attitude for Christ, will perform a demonstration at 2 p.m. Saturday on stage two, which will be located on Main Street near Millys on Main.

“The Omega Force Strength Team is a group of Christians who perform feats of strength. Their actions show how God’s influence in lives can make the seemingly impossible, possible. Using varying athletic and Christian backgrounds as a platform, the Team motivates and inspires their audiences to realize that God is part of everyday,” according to the group’s website.

Omega Force holds records in a variety of competition venues from Scottish Highland games and strongman contests to team Captain Randy Richey’s recent 1,000-pound log squat lifting record, which was set recently in his home town of Scottsville, Kentucky.

“They were here about four years ago and put on a great show,” Sharpe said. “I understand they are going to be at Main Street Baptist Church Sunday morning.”

New this year will be three-on-three basketball tournaments Saturday morning, which will take place in the J.B. Mountjoy Gymnasium at Williamsburg Independent School. One will be for men and the other for women.

Both are being put on as a fundraiser for the Williamsburg High School Girl’s Basketball Team.

There is a $50 entry fee for both tournaments. Participants must be at least 15 years old, and there is a limit of five-people per team.

Registration for the women’s tournament will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, and play will start at 11 a.m.

The winning team in the women’s tournament will receive 80 percent of the tournament registration fee, and a trophy.

Registration for the men’s tournament will be from 11 – 11:30 a.m. There will be a captain’s meeting at 11:45 a.m. with games beginning at noon in the school gym, or at the conclusion of the women’s tournament.

The winning male team will receive $500 and a trophy.

For more information about the tournament, contact Randy Crider at randy.crider@wburg.kyschools.us, or at (606) 549-6044, extension 137.

In addition, the festival will feature a number of other activities and entertainment.

In 2013, Old Fashioned Trading Days added a second stage for entertainment, which is continuing this year.

While stage one, which is across from Bill Woods Park, will still feature the traditional bluegrass and gospel music concerts that Old Fashioned Trading Days is known for, stage two will feature country-rock artists.

Stage two will feature a performance by local group County Wide at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Rusty and The Green Horns will take to stage two at 5 p.m. Friday followed by Joe Hampton at 7 p.m. Friday.

“They are a small group. Rock and roll type music,” Sharpe noted about Rusty and the Green Horns. Hampton performs a similar type of music.

The Frontier Band will perform on stage two at 7 p.m. Saturday. This is the second year in a row that the group has performed during Old Fashioned Trading Days, and they play a lot of upbeat country music.

Wednesday set-up

Sharpe said that Main Street would be partially closed off starting Wednesday morning to allow for set up for the festival.

Registration for the quilt show and canning contest will take place from 10 a.m. – noon at the extension community art center across from city hall.

Entries will be on display from 1 – 6 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday at the community art center.

Opens Thursday

Old Fashioned Trading Days will start Thursday with booths opening on the courthouse lawn that morning.

Bluegrass music will start Thursday at 4 p.m. on stage one with Gene Siler and Brushy Mountain performing followed by Tidal Wave Road, Virgil Bowlin, Tad Paddle and Sunrise Ridge, who will close out the evening’s performances.

Friday events

Friday’s festivities will start off with registration for the vegetable show from 9 – 10:45 a.m. Judging will start at 11 a.m.

Several local choirs and bands will take the stage beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday on stage one starting with Whitley Central Intermediate School, followed by the Williamsburg High School Choir, the Williamsburg High School Band, the Whitley County Middle School Choir, the Whitley County High School Choir and the Whitley County High School Band.

Gospel music kicks off at 3 p.m. Friday on stage one with Allen Duncan followed by Straight Creek, The Southern Grace, Fair Haven, Kentucky Just Us, and The Believers, who will take the stage at 8 p.m.

Saturday events

Saturday will feature not one, but two cornhole tournaments.

The Reclaiming Futures Treatment Program Ninth Annual Cornhole Tournament will start at 8 a.m.

There will be the corporate division, the celebrity division and an open division.

Reclaiming Futures, which was formerly known as juvenile drug court, helps teens overcome drugs, alcohol and crime. Proceeds from the tournament will be used to support the program.

The Sid Strunk Memorial Corn Toss Tournament will have registration starting at 10 a.m., and the tournament beginning at 11 a.m.

The car show will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and will run until 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Whitley County Judicial Center.

The Miss/Mr./Ms./Mrs. Old Fashion Days Pageant will take place on stage two with registration starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Contestants are encouraged to wear their Sunday best or a pageant dress and will be judged on beauty and personality.

For more information contact Michele Calton at (606) 524-4635.

This is the second consecutive year for the beauty pageant.

Saturday’s entertainment will start with The Pine Mountain Dancers performing at 10 a.m. on stage one followed by The Dance Centre at 11 a.m., Leanne Hoffman at 1 p.m. Tidal Wave at 2 p.m., and The Reeves Boys at 3 p.m.

Gospel music on stage one starts at 4 p.m. with the Heavenly Heirs, followed by The Whisnants, the Mike Bowling Family and The Primitives.

“It is going to be a really good festival. We encourage everyone to come down and enjoy,” Sharpe added.