Sixth Annual community open house and pilot block party to
feature something for everyone
Aviation enthusiasts, their families and friends will enjoy both
recreation and top-flight education during the 6th Annual
Holleyfest Fly-in/Camp-out being held at Holley Mountain Airpark
(2A2) in Van Buren County near Clinton, Arkansas, Friday and
Saturday, October 8 and 9, 2004.
Billed as a “community open house and pilots block
party,” registration and camping commence Friday afternoon,
heading toward a “tall tales” storytelling session and
live entertainment around the campfire, beginning at sunset.
Headlining this year’s storytelling list, Sid King of
KGFL-KHPQ Radio in Clinton will recount details of the Damascus
Missile Crisis. His tale and others will alternate with music by
the celebrated Lost Creek Band.
Saturday’s educational program gets going at 9:00am with
an FAA Wings Safety Program, followed by presentations of the
Arkansas Aeronautics Commission, Jonesboro AFSS, Air-Evac 30
Vilonia, and the United States Pilots Association.
Just before noontime, the VFW District 6 Ladies Auxiliary Color
Guard will present their award-winning flag ceremony, followed by
the event dedication, invocation and lunch. The keynote address is
being given this year by community leader, environmental activist
and former Mayor of the City of Clinton, Don Richardson.
The afternoon will see the annual running of the Popsicle Stick
Drop, a game for children age 12 & under, which awards prizes
in exchange for specially marked Popsicle sticks that are scattered
from a flying plane. The formal dedication of the Dan Davison
Emergency Center as the new home of the Holley Mountain Airpark
Fire Department, an Awards Ceremony, giving meritorious notice to
achievements such as the oldest plane, oldest pilot, youngest
pilot, furthest distance flown, etc., and the drawing for the
special Pilot’s Door Prize conclude Saturday’s
agenda.
New this year, K.D. BBQ will provide a variety of cash &
carry menu items throughout the entire event, including Friday
dinner as well as Saturday breakfast and BBQ Plate lunch, for which
advance RSVPs are highly recommended. The Digital Photo Contest
encores this year and the Holleyfest vendor court promises a unique
selection of high-quality handcraft and artisan exhibitors. The
FAA, in addition to providing a Temporary Control Tower
(118.45mhz), will be offering the complimentary Pilot &
Aircraft Courtesy Evaluation (PACE) program.
Additional event safety support is being provided by the Van
Buren County Rescue Squad, audio/video set-up for the educational
program is being coordinated by the Sowers Chiropractic Clinic, and
the folks from Dawson Aircraft will coordinate ground-crew duties
for arriving and departing aircraft.
General admission, parking, pilot education programs and nearly
all recreational activities including camping are free and open to
the public, no matter whether one is a pilot or not.
“Holleyfest is all about being a good neighbor to the
community,” said John Oakland, coordinator of this
year’s event, which is hosted by the Holley Mountain Property
Owners Association, Inc.
“Yes, this event itself is about airplanes and flying,
food and fun,” Oakland summarized. “But, it is
also a chance to let our surrounding communities know that we are a
vibrant, contributing and supportive group of people. Holleyfest is
our way to invite our neighbors over to ‘our place’ to
have some fun and get to know us.”
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