COTTONWOOD FALLS
Cottonwood Falls had a busy Labor Day with the first ever Wranglers on the River in downtown Cottonwood Falls.
The festival offered music, trick roping, a petting zoo with domestic and exotic animals, shopping and lots of food.
Marcie Campbell of Hedrick Exotic Animal Farm in Nickerson, brought animals to the festival for people to see. Admission to the petting zoo was free with a Wranglers on the River Button. Campbell said Joe Hedrick is president of the animal farm that has animals that travel from coast to coast and border to border. The petting zoo travels to state fairs and festivals across the United States, Campbell said.
The Hedrick Exotic Animal Farm has about 80 different types of animals — a handful of which were available to view and pet in Cottonwood Falls on Monday. The zoo included a giant tortoise, camels, a zebra and a host of other animals that were begging the crowd for attention Monday.
Campbell said Hedrick, who founded the exotic animal farm, has family who has always been involved in animals one way or another. He and his wife were schoolteachers and had animals at home. Hedrick had to find another way to make money to pay to feed the animals at home and after going to visit other petting zoos around the country, the exotic animal farm was born.
“As a school teacher, he thought it was important to entertain and educate about animals,” Campbell said.
Campbell pointed out that at each animal’s pen was a sign that offered educational information about the animal. People also enjoy seeing how the different species of animals interact with each other, Campbell added.
“We are considered the epitome of petting zoos,” Campbell said.
Campbell said having the petting zoo in Cottonwood Falls allowed people who might not otherwise get to see the animals be exposed to them. The petting zoo will be traveling to the Kansas State Fair this month as well; however, not everybody will be able to make it to the state fair, Campbell said.
“By virtue of us being here, we can share our animals with the world,” she said.
The petting zoo also offered camel rides in Cottonwood Falls. Other camels from the exotic animal farm were in Nevada over the weekend for the International Camel Races, Campbell said.
Monday’s festival wasn’t just for the animals. During the noon hour a group of people gathered at the river bridge just off downtown Cottonwood Falls to listen to Crossroads, a band formed by Jeremy Bell, 14, Josh Pretzer, 16, Aaron Johnson, 16 and Colby Koehn, 14, all of Cottonwood Falls. The four formed the band about a year ago and all attend the same church, Flint Hills Community Church.
“We all kind of met here,” Jeremy said. “God gave us all talent.”
That talent was evident as the group played its second gig together Monday and entertained the crowd. The crowd asked for an encore presentation and after the gig was done, the four received hugs and compliments from those that attended the performance.
“We just get up there and God leads us,” Jeremy said. “I think actually we play better on stage then when we practice. We’re doing it for God. God gave us a talent and we give back to him.”
The group name, Crossroads, is symbolic for the group.
“God is the only right way to choose,” Jeremy said, of the crossroads of life.