News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The history of the Rock Island community on display Saturday during the community’s 19th Annual Heritage Day celebration
Event Co-organizer Sandra Shockley said she began putting together a celebration around Heritage Day when she was working as a Van Buren Commissioner. With many relics dating through the last century, Shockley said the event is about celebrating times passed.
“The main goal with Heritage Day is to promote a feeling of fellowship and to establish connection to our heritage whatever it may be,” Shockley said. “It could be 100 years, 50 years, or 20 years.”
The event will be held Saturday from 9am to 3pm, on top of the mountain at 644 Rocky River Road. That’s seven miles past Highway 8 and five miles past Highway 30. The event will feature a car show, wagon and stagecoach Rides, historical displays, and music.
“I discovered at that time that Van Buren County had set aside a first Saturday in October, or first weekend in October, as Heritage Day and we had never done anything about it,” Shockley said. “I think that was such a shame.
Shockley said she then talked to Jimmy Yates and Kenneth Keaton about putting together day a Heritage Day celebration.
“This is the best event,” Shockley said. “And I’ve been involved with a lot over the years, but this is the best event that I’ve ever been involved with.”
Shockley said that what impacts her the most about the event is the sense of pride and respect that people have while attending. Shockley said that respect is shown simply through the lack of garbage and clean-up that is required following the event.
