We’ve all seen car races, horse races and possibly pig races at a local fair. But chances are you’ve never seen, or maybe even heard of, buggy races — unless, of course, you’ve been to Yoder Heritage Day.
Set for Saturday, Aug. 26, in Yoder, Kansas, Yoder Heritage Day began in 1989 as a celebration of the town’s centennial. A few years later in 1992, a committee was formed to continue organizing a similar event to bring people in and celebrate Yoder, and it is now established as a tradition for both locals and travelers.
“The goal of our event is to showcase the Yoder community and the Amish and Mennonite heritage of the Yoder community,” said Mervin Fisher, advertising manager. “It is a homecoming reunion for former Kansans where we provide a great family-friendly atmosphere with no alcohol and it is free to get in and all events are free to watch.”
As the event name suggests, it is just a single day — but the schedule could not be more packed. The pancake and sausage breakfast kicks things off beginning at 6 a.m., and all throughout the little town there are things happening until dark with a concert and fireworks finale.
While the first celebration’s main attraction was wheat threshing, horses now seem to be in the spotlight.
“The buggy races are local people racing their horses against other locals. This year we have the Pegasus riders trick riding team in as well as an Amish drill team from Ohio. The horse fun show is locals doing different fun events on their horses,” Fisher said.
Horses also feature prominently in the morning’s parade down Main Street, one of the largest horse-drawn parades in all of Kansas.
“The parade is usually around an hour long with many horse entries as well as a good amount of farm equipment and fire trucks and other local businesses showcasing their businesses,” Fisher said.
While the number typically “dwindles” to 5,000 for the afternoon activities, the committee anticipates up to 10,000 people watching the parade — which is a truly incredible number for a town whose most recent census recorded 141 residents.
“We have people come from many states as well as people from overseas. For people who come from far away, Yoder Days is more of a homecoming,” said Leroy Hershberger, a professional storyteller who is on the afternoon schedule and who will captivate his audience of all ages with stories of an Amish childhood, recent adventures in Romania and folklore.
“Locals tend to come for specific interests: tractor pulls, horse events, quilts. Children love the candy flings in the parade,” Hershberger said. “There is something for all ages and tastes — shaved ice, food stands, fresh-churned ice cream, children’s competitions and games, and fireworks, after the evening concert.”
The event is free to the public from dawn to dark. For more information or a full schedule of events, visit yoderheritageday.com.
As reported in The Hutchinson News
