Wilder Days week has arrived for Mansfield

Wilder Days will be held this week in Mansfield Friday-Saturday, Sep. 25-26.
Highlighting this year’s event will be the appearance of actor Richard Thomas, who is famous for his role as John Boy on “The Waltons.” Thomas also portrayed Charles “Pa” Ingalls on the made-for-TV movie, “Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder.” That movie will be shown in the park at dusk on day two.
Thomas will be at the Seventh Annual Wilder Dinner on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 417-924-3626.
He will also be at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum from 9 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m. for an autograph signing session.
Also on Saturday, the Stanley Jones singers perform at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Pa’s fiddle is played at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and the Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps performs at 11:15 a.m.
On Friday night at the gazebo downtown, DEK of Hearts, a finalist on the television show “The Voice,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. The festival opens on Friday at noon with the “No Days Off Band” performing at noon. In the Old Town area near the square, stick weaving is at 1 p.m., tomahawk throwing at 2 p.m. and Dutch oven cooking at 3 p.m. Fire starting is at 4 p.m. There are different Saturday times on the schedule for the same events.
Fourth graders present Friday night at the gazebo at 4 p.m. The Summit of the Ozarks Theatre performs at 4:45 p.m.
On the square on Saturday, live entertainment includes Isaac Kenneth (10 a.m.), Finley River Boys (2 p.m.), The Grass Pickers Band (3 p.m.), One More Dollar Band (4 p.m.) and No Days Off Band (5 p.m.)
The parade is at 1 p.m. The Historical Society’s train depot has a silent auction and pie sale from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 
(The schedule of events for Wilder Days appears on page B1 of this issue.)