Ozark Trail Festival: parking, food trucks, and was that 5K actually hilly?

Two weeks late, I know, but I'm still chewing on the Ozark Trail Festival at Spring Park on the 3rd.

Parking first. Circled for 15 minutes, gave up, and walked in from a good few blocks out with a kid on my shoulders. Small town, one park, one big Saturday. You'd think by now someone would've figured it out. Rotary did a nice job on everything else, so I'm not blaming them 😅

Food trucks were fine. A funnel cake and a brisket sandwich that was decent but not $14 decent. What I really wondered was whether the sit-down places in town saw any of that crowd, or if everybody just ate out of a truck in the park all day. Anybody who works or owns downtown, I'd honestly like to hear.

Now the real question. My neighbor ran the 5K and swears it was hills the whole way. A guy at work says it's basically flat and she's just out of shape (she is not). Anyone else run it? If it's hilly I'll sign up for next year and just walk it with a coffee.

Also what did everybody come home with? I got a jar of pickled okra and a set of cornhole bags I did not need. Didn't win anything at the silent auction, which tracks. Anybody get a good deal?

Cody, I'll take the restaurant part since that's about the only subject I'm qualified on. My wife and I drove down from the Bay that Saturday and had the same parking trouble. We circled twice, gave up, and ended up in a church lot a few blocks off. A nice lady waved us in and said it was fine as long as we cleared out by four. We got there around ten and it was already tight, so next year I'd go earlier or just plan on the walk.

We skipped the trucks and ate after the parade at one of the sit-down places on Main Street. The wait was close to 40 minutes, and the waitress said the lunch crowd started at 11 and never let up. So I'd say downtown got some of it. The trucks probably got more, especially from families with little ones. $14 for a brisket sandwich sounds about right for a festival these days, though I remember when a whole church fish fry plate was five dollars and you got seconds.

I can't help you on the 5K. My running days ended sometime during the Clinton administration. But the ground around that park rolls more than it looks from behind a windshield, so I wouldn't write off your neighbor. A walk with a coffee sounds like the right plan to me.

Pickled okra is never a wasted purchase, by the way.

RONNIE THE CHURCH LOT TRICK IS THE MOVE. WE CAME IN FROM HIGDEN AND DID THE SAME THING, PARKED WAY OUT AND WALKED IT. NO REGRETS, THE KIDS BURNED OFF SOME ENERGY BEFORE THE FUNNEL CAKE ANYWAY.

CODY, I'LL BACK YOUR NEIGHBOR ON THE 5K. IT'S NOT MOUNTAINS BUT IT ROLLS, AND THERE'S ONE STRETCH THAT LOOKS FLAT UNTIL YOU'RE ACTUALLY ON IT. A COUPLE KIDS FROM THE YOUTH TEAM I HELP WITH RAN IT AND CAME BACK SAYING "THAT WAS NOT FLAT." TELL YOUR BUDDY AT WORK TO LACE UP AND TRY IT.

AND YES PICKLED OKRA IS ALWAYS A GOOD BUY. MINE IS STILL PUTTING OUT IN THE GARDEN, WON'T BE LONG TILL FROST GETS IT.

Higden gang 😂 we did the church lot too, kids were out cold before we hit Hwy 25 on the way home. Didnt run the 5k but my brother in law did and said the last mile was brutal, so id belive the rolling thing. Cody just walk it with the cofee, no shame

Last mile being the rough one matches what I heard too. I only went for the car show and walked in from a few blocks out like everyone else. Honestly a shuttle from one of the bigger lots would fix most of the parking mess.

A shuttle would be so easy too. Rotary could probably borrow a church van or a school bus and run it from one of the bigger lots every 15 minutes or so. I came over from Quitman and ended up parking so far out I about talked myself into turning around, but the walk was nice once I got going.

I mostly went for the craft vendors. Came home with a quilted table runner and a bag of garlic to plant, so that's my fall garden project now... Didn't make it to the silent auction, Cody, so you're not alone there.

Church lot tip noted for next year though, thanks Ronnie.

Another Quitman person here 🙋‍♂️ I got there late and parked so far out I was basically in Heber's next zip code. A shuttle would fix so much. Even a church van doing loops would be better than everyone circling Spring Park.

I mostly went for the dog show. Brought my pup and she was more interested in the funnel cake smell than the other dogs 😅 Wish there'd been a rescue table or two, I bet a crowd like that would've gotten some adoptions going.

Lisa, how'd you like the garlic? I want to try planting some too.

Lisa, misery loves company on the silent auction 😅 I'm starting to think those bids are rigged against anyone who only shows up for the funnel cake.

The shuttle idea keeps looking better. A church van and a laminated sign, and Rotary would've fixed 90% of it. Honestly, with what I pay in property taxes, the county could spare a school bus for one Saturday. Okay, I'm done, that's a different thread.

Good to hear downtown had a 40 minute wait though, Ronnie. Means the sit-down places did fine. I'll count the 5K as officially rolling, so coffee and a slow walk it is. Hunter, plant the garlic before the first hard freeze.