Arcola overrun by Raggedy Ann dolls at annual rally
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By Jacob Hamm
ARCOLA— Hundreds of people from across the area and the country gathered in Arcola for the 37th annual Raggedy Ann parade and festival.
Mick Howrey, one of the key organizers for the event, said people traveled from as far as California this year to trade, sell, and buy dolls, and enjoy the festivities.
“In the past, they’ve come from as far as California, Japan, and Canada,” he said. Howrey said approximately 200 people came to take part in the celebration this year.
He volunteered with his wife about a decade ago to revive the festival after it had declined in popularity. They used the power of the internet such as Facebook groups and pages where collectors could share their interests and trade dolls with each other to grow the festival again.
Many people gathered in the Arcola Community Center on Friday and Saturday to socialize and observe the various items. The parade took place in downtown Arcola Saturday afternoon with a few dozen people in costumes marching in the parade, alongside the mayor, senior citizens, and military veterans.
Howrey and his wife Kathy said one of their favorite things about the festival is that people travel back year after year.
“It’s amazing in Amazing Arcola,” she said. She enjoys the camaraderie people have when returning to the celebration year after year. At the beginning of the celebration this year, there were thousands of dolls in the community center to look at and buy. Now, there are a few hundred.