Next Wednesday, June 24, the Merrill City Band presents its opening concert of the season, “YeeHaw!” Special guest Rev. Sam Harris from North Carolina will delight the audience with “Home on the Range” and “Happy Trails,” played on the musical handsaw. Sam has been featured at the New York City Musical Saw Festival and numerous other events. Fantastic Fiddler, Mary Premeau steps to the front of the stage for “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” with narrator Dynamite Boots, also know as Tim Zimmerman.
Also starting at 5 p.m. will be concessions from the Lions Club, including burgers, hot dogs, beans, chips water and soda. HAVEN will be selling their ever-popular popcorn and pie and ice cream will be available from the Merrill Band Boosters. The Courtside Furniture Relay for Life team will also be selling cheese curds.
Butch’s Good Time Singin’ ‘n Storytellin’ will start at 5:30 p.m. with Butch’s Good Times Hoedown at 6:15.
Best-dressed prizes will be given out during the concert for little cowpokes, band members, and one costumed adult. Coloring contest winners will also take home some goodies. Free activities for the young’ns will begin at 5 p.m., including Grampa’s Farm petting zoo, face painting, sheriff’s badge and name tag, coloring contest, costume contest, stick horse and gunny sack races, mining for silver, bean bag toss, and lasso the steer ring toss. Bring your cameras for all the great photo ops, including cowboy, cowgirl, and western jail cutouts, created by the PRMS Accelerated art students. Though actual rides cannot be given, a western wagon belonging to Steve Lee, seen in Merrill’s Labor Day parade, will be available for kids to climb aboard.
Prior to the little cowpoke parade through the park, Dynamite Boots returns to narrate the comical rendition of “The Three Little Pigs.” All parade participants will go home with a coupon for free ice cream at one of four local ice cream locations. Gift certificates from Merrill and Gleason businesses will be given out as part of the weekly 50-50 raffle.
Hoedown concert sponsors include: The City of Merrill, Church Mutual Insurance, Grampa’s Farm, Foto News, Merrill Courier, WJMT, Johnson Pharmacy, Briq’s Soft Serve, Clark’s Cup N Cone, Dairy Queen, Studio 808, Hargrave Appliances, Trantow’s Do-it Center, Peterson Sand & Gravel, Merrill House of Music, Soundworks Systems, Inc., Dave’s County Market, Lee’s Piggly Wiggly, and Walmart.
Come on down to the park and join the band in dressing up in your best cowpoke attire. In the event of inclement weather, the rain date for the Hoedown concert is July 8.
On Wednesday, July 1, the band presents “With Malice Toward None,” an evening of patriotic and Civil War music, featuring vocalist and narrator, Jim Bjorklund. A special invitation goes out to all veterans and those in the armed services. The public is invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy Wednesday evenings with the Merrill City Band.