Confederate Reunion Evolved Into Clothesline Fair

The Clothesline Fair started in 1951 and has been successful through the efforts of Prairie Grove Lions Club, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park and Arts Center of the Ozarks, formerly the Council of Ozark Artists and Craftsman.

The arts and crafts idea originated from trips by Fred and Madge McCuistion of Prairie Grove to visit local arts festivals in the Appalachians.

They wanted to promote native and local artists and craftsman and moved their crafts fair around northwest Arkansas for a few years before finding a permanent home in Prairie Grove in 1957. History shows there had been craft fairs at the state park as early as 1953.

Battlefield State Park already held a Labor Day celebration and reunion of Confederate soldiers and their survivors so it seemed only natural for the Clothesline Fair to also occupy the same weekend.

Through the efforts of the Lions Club, Fred and Marge and countless others in Prairie Grove, the Fair was successful from the beginning.

In 1957, 30 exhibitors presented their crafts and an estimated 7,000 people visited the fair. The number of crafters doubled the next year from 30 to 60.

The Council of Ozark Artists and Craftsman lasted until the mid 1970s until it merged with the former Springdale Fine Arts Center and the name was changed to Arts Center of the Ozarks to reflect both organizations.

Square dancing is as much a part of the Clothesline Fair as the arts and crafts vendors.

Square dancing has been going on since around 1958. Most people credit Peggy Parks of Prairie Grove with starting the square dancing tradition, though she won’t take all the credit. Parks was a fourth-grade teacher in Prairie Grove and remembers watching a high school group do the Virginia Reel folk dance. That gave her the idea her own students could do the same.

She taught her fourth-graders how to folk dance and they probably were the first group to perform at the Clothesline Fair in 1958.

Over the years, the Fair has added square dance exhibitions and competitions for children.

Last year, the Lions Club decided to name the square dance competition in memory of Parks. It’s now called the Peggy Parks Memorial Square Dance Competition and for 2018, the winning group will receive a trophy for their efforts.

The Prairie Grove Lions Club sponsors the square dancing and handles all concessions at the Clothesline Fair. Proceeds are used to help others, especially those with vision needs.

Arts Center of the Ozark handles the craft show and state park staff prepare the grounds and take care of needs throughout the threeday event.

FILE PHOTOS The stonewall along the road at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park is a popular resting place at the Clothesline Fair each year.

Michelle Reed of Prairie Grove looks over tie-dye T-shirts at the 2015 Clothesline Fair. The vendor identified himself as “Tie Dye Frank.” He is from Tulsa and is one of the regulars at the Fair.

Kriscinda Sallee and Brenda Wilkins, both of Guthrie, Okla., look over baskets at the booth Treasures from Africa from Fayetteville during the 2017 Clothesline Fair. The booth has been a regular at the Clothesline Fair for four years.

Savannah Bates of Farmington watches Daniel Kim create pictures using the letters of his clients’ names. Kim of Denton, Texas, is a pastor who also is a professor in theology in China.

Glenda Lee of Greenland was with her family last year for their annual trek to the Clothesline Fair in search of particular items: peanut brittle, kettle corn, lemonade and a few other purchases.

Joe Rainey of Rogers performs musket demonstrations at the 2017 Clothesline Fair. He is with the Sons of Union Veterans.