As usual, Madison Days had a lot to offer area residents this weekend.
The annual town festival culminates Sunday with the annual golf tournament. Before that, Saturday’s schedule was jam-packed — and not just because of First Christian Church Pastor and unofficial town historian Bob Robison’s presentation on Madison history. The area has always had an agriculture backbone, which was strengthened by two railroads, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe that established its presence in the late 1870s, followed by the Missouri Pacific in the 1880s.
The oil boom followed starting in the 1920s.
Robison says Madison had settlers dating back to the 1850s….but it took some time for the community itself to get settled.
Several activities Saturday were kid-specific, including a sidewalk chalk contest, crafts, inflatables and an appearance by the Emporia Arts Council’s ArtMobile. Friday also had several events geared for children, including a screening of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Additional events included a mechanical bull, a vehicle cruise night and a movie night all Friday, followed by a parade, bingo and cornhole tournament Saturday.
Food was in abundance for the weekend, including separate hot dog and hamburger feeds Friday, as well as snow cones, pies and ice cream before a biscuits-and-gravy breakfast, a chicken-and-noodles lunch and a hog roast Saturday.
