Celebrate The Plumb Nellie Days This Weekend
Visitors to Branson in May will see signs around town and hear stories about a strangely named festival, Plumb Nellie Days. Despite the name, this southwest Missouri craft festival is one of the most well attended festivals in the area, and for good reason. Since 1960 downtown Branson Missouri has been a haven for hand crafted gifts & décor, food, games and live entertainment. According to the staff at Thousand Hills Resort, the 2013 Event looks to be an even bigger and better continuation of tradition.
In 1960 a group of Branson citizens got together to have a celebration of the warm weather of late spring and early summer in Branson. The first event brought nearly 3,000 people to take part in traditional cakewalks, playing horseshoes, hog calls, marbles, fishing contests, foot races, band concerts and just about anything else the organizers could think of. This tied into the first name of the festival, “Plumb Nearly Anything Goes Days” which was quickly shortened to the now famous “Plumb Nellie Days”.
The 2013 celebration is the 53rd annual Plumb Nellie Days Celebration, and while the activities may be a little more organized, they are no less varied or entertaining for guests than they were over 50 years ago. Thousand Hills Resort offers the following schedule of events for the festival for guests wishing to attend.
Events kick off 9 AM on Thursday May 16th, when numerous crafts booths and exhibitors will begin hawking their wares in historic downtown Branson, at the corner of Commercial & Main Streets. Throughout the day a number of performers will be presenting free shows for festival guests. Thursday’s lineup includes Voices of Glory from America’s Got Talent Fame, Joseph Hall’s “Elvis”, Cat’s Pajamas, and a Neil Diamond Tribute.
The next morning, Friday May 17th begins again at 9 am with the shops and food stands opening up bright and early. Through the day there will be many more free, live performances including a Tribute to ABBA, The World Famous Platters, The Three Redneck Tenors and Midwest Dance Revolution. Then, from 5:30 to 7:30 Branson guests will want to take in the warm evening to participate in a good old fashioned street dance to kick off the weekend in style.
Finally, Saturday May 18th brings the last but not least day of the festival. Again, shops and stalls open at 9 AM and live performances include Prep Vocal Academy, Tom Lovato & Friends, Leroy New & many more. The highlight of this closing day however is the Salute to the Military at noon. During this celebration Branson and all the festival goers will honor all those who have served America both past & present with music, entertainment, and special guests.
To take in a festival like this it is recommended that guests stay a day or two to see all there is to see and to enjoy all the free events it has to offer. Thousand Hills Resort offers Branson nightly rental condos and cabins in the heart of Branson, just a few minutes up the Highway 76 Strip from the location of the festivities. Thousand Hills has been providing lodging in Branson for 20 years and is proud to be the home base for guests attending the 53rd Branson Plumb Nellie Days.
The Branson Information Source at Thousand Hills
