By WILL KANGAS
September 9, 2011
MASON -- Events like Mason's Down Home Days are such a tradition they are used as a local calendar, according to Mason Chamber of Commerce Director Doug Klein.
"Some people mark the outdoor season as Memorial Day to Labor Day, but around here we mark it as Spring Fling (in May) and Down Home Days as the end," Klein said.
Mason's 38th Annual Down Home Days from Sept. 15-18 will feature several events centered around the downtown courthouse area's virtual tent city of vendor booths on Sept. 17.
Klein has a map that resembles a monopoly board at the Mason Chamber of Commerce office.
With 148 booth slots that are made available each year, he and the staff try to make everyone happy with positioning and tree coverage in case of bad weather.
"Weather is always a large factor when it comes to turnout for the event," Klein said. "We estimate that we have 4,000 to 6,000 people attend every year."
From the courthouse, the event continues to expand with events around it every year, including a live courthouse concert featuring the Mason High School Band and Cheer Squad on the courthouse lawn on Sept. 15. More performances are a highlight this year, Klein said.
The L.A. Cloggers will perform at 10 a.m. on Sept. 17 followed by "Ukulele Mania" at 3 p.m. at a stage on Maple Street.
"We don't dare try to get larger than local entertainment," Klein said. "It gets too expensive and the crowd can get too large to handle."
Other activities include a rummage sale at the Kiwanis Clubhouse in Kiwanis Village and a library book sale at the Mason Library from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
"The main focus as always will be the vendors downtown," Klein said. "When people think of Down Home Days they think of the variety of arts and crafts, community groups and specialty foods."
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