THE MILO FESTIVAL
The First Milo Festival - 1970
"Oh, yes we can!!" Ken Makalous must have repeated those words a thousand times when he spearheaded the plans for the first milo festival.
When the people of Beattie began making plans to celebrate the city's first century of incorporation in 1970, Kenneth Makalous, CEO of the First National Bank, encouraged the town to make it an annual affair. Since at the time Marshall County, was the top producer of milo in the state of Kansas and hence in the world, it followed that Beattie was the "Milo Capital of the World." Mak, experienced in organizing celebrations in other towns, led the way.
The Beattie Story, 1870-1970 was printed; it was a commemorative history book. It was compiled by Elna FitzGerald, Laura Hofmann, Katherine Flanagan, Sister Mary Mark Orr, Gladys Price, Viola Tegethoff, Mary Tegethoff and Helen Ruth Wuester. The cover was designed by Twyla Boyd.
Booster groups hit the highways and invitations went out for everyone to come to Beattie for our special day, August 29, 1970. A huge parade, nearly 130 units, was readied; it was expected that two or three thousand people might come to watch. LO and behold, when the parade started the throngs of spectators stretched out for over eight blocks! Mr. Guise of the Marysville Advocate estimated that over 6,000 people viewed the parade that day.
Among the other activities during the first festival were wheat threshing with a steam engine, horseshoe pitching, kid's games, beard contests, a style show and something new to the region, a tractor pull! In the evening, Mr. Makalous supervised a barbecue at which 1,800 chicken halves were cooked and served to the hungry crowd.
At the organizational meeting held later that fall, it was decided to make the festival an annual event and bylaws for the Beattie Milo Festival were adopted. It was determined that a parade be held every five years, that every activity possible be free-of-charge and that any profits realized be returned to the community for worthwhile projects.
Some of those projects over the years have included new recreation field lights and bleachers, kids' ball team uniforms, playground equipment, the new rest room and concession building, and major street improvements around the park. Donations have been made to the Twin Valley Workshop, used for city Christmas decorations, for mowing equipment, for the firehouse, for the library, etc. Part of the construction costs of the tennis courts and the light bills of the recreation complex are funded by the Milo Festival treasury.
Since that first centennial celebration there have been 24 more successful Milo Festivals. Even Mother Nature seems to approve!
There has been only one rain-out and it came in a year when rain was far more beneficial than the festival. Over the years, events have varied and changed but the chicken barbecue is still the highlight of the day. As many as 1,500 chicken halves are prepared and served, and the boys still use Mak's favorite recipe!
BEATTIE IS MILO CAPITAL
When Beattie was proclaimed the "Milo Capital of the World" by Gov. Robert Docking in 1970, a tradition was born.
Celebrating its centennial, Beattie drew people from across the country for a parade, chicken barbecue, speeches, contests and a dance. Added to the celebration were tractor pulling contests, a horse show, a horseshoe pitching competition, style show and square dancing.
The Beattie Milo Festival is the town's festive expression "of appreciation for the abundancy of milo, past present and future," according to a speech by John Ivan, Gov. Docking's executive assistant, quoted in the September 2, 1970, edition of the Marysville Advocate.
The initial festival featured 100 entries in the parade.
Because the Milo Festival was so successful in its maiden year, Beattie decided to continue it. Since then, the celebration has been the last Saturday of August, and later was changed to the third Saturday in August because of the starting of school.
Beattie streets were choked with some 3,000 to 5,000 people during the 1971 festival. The barbecue, tractor pull and milo competition made up the main events. Some 95 entries were featured at the horse show, and the dance closed the day.
Like the two preceding years, 1972's festival featured the milo competition, dance, barbecue and parade. But the crowd milling around the town had swelled to between 4,000 and 6,000. Some 100 persons entered the tractor pull contest, and 27 entries were judged in the milo competition.
The following year saw the celebration begin with ecumenical services. The Rev. Bruce Gotschall and the Rev. James Wright conducted the joint church session. By this time, the competitions, dance and parade had become part of the Milo Festival tradition.
Cong. Martha Keys, D-Kansas, State Sen. Leslie Droge, R-Seneca, and State Rep. Jim Ungerer, R-Marysville, participated in the 1975 festival, which brought between 8,000 and 10,000 to Beattie. The number of visitors was an all-time high. Likewise, the number of entrants in the horse show topped previous years - 175 persons competed for the ribbons.