The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival will celebrate Missouri culture and continue the tradition of holding a demonstration of mule jumping — the most Missourian of Missouri folk arts, according to festival committee members.
The annual festival held in downtown West Plains on June 3 and June 4 to celebrate Ozarks music and culture will have the demonstration of mule jumping at 4 p.m. on June 4, in the parking lot near the West Plains Senior Center at the corner of East Main and South Curry streets.
The Mule Jump Competition, sponsored by Hirsch Feed and Farm Supply, will follow the demonstration at 7 p.m., coordinated by Richie Dement of Centerville.
Festival committee member Matt Meacham said mule jumping seems to have developed when raccoon hunters began training mules to jump over fences so that they did not have to interrupt the hunt to locate a gate.
It soon became a competitive event, and contests took place at county fairs and town picnics throughout the rural southeast and midwest, especially Missouri.
Meacham said, “Based on the research I’ve done, it appears that there are more mule jumps annually in Missouri than in any other state.”
“It seems safe to say that the Show-Me State is the mule-jumpingest state in the country,” Meacham said.
All trainers of jumping mules are invited to participate in the 14th annual mule jump competition.
According to committee members, prizes will be awarded in each of the three classes based on the mule’s height, ranging from 46 inches and under, 54 inches and under, to over 54 inches.
Trainers can pre-register for the competition, but it’s not required.
Contestants who wish to pre-register should contact Matt Meacham at 417-372-3177 or email matt.meacham@ilhumanities.org.
All participants need to check in on-site by 6:30 p.m. on June 4.
Those who have questions about specific policies and procedures should contact coordinator Richie Dement at 573-648-2524.
The mule jump at the festival in 2011 became the subject of an article in the Wall Street Journal, Meacham said.
“Although we can’t guarantee that competitors will receive international media coverage again this year, we can guarantee that they’ll have the attention of an enthusiastic, supportive audience and the appreciation of the organizers of the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival,” Meacham said.
The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival will celebrate its 27th year on June 3 and June 4.
Admission to all festival events is free.
Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on both days, with music beginning at noon.
Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the city of West Plains, Missouri State University-West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center and the West Plains Civic Center.
The Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, provides partial funding for the festival.
For more information on the festival, email info@westplainsarts.org, or visit oldtimemusic.org.
