4th of July in Dadeville, MO
In the rolling Ozarks foothills of rural Dade County, there rests the sleepy little town of Dadeville. With a population of just over 200, Dadeville doesn't take long to explore. There are a couple churches, a café, some small businesses, as well as several tidy homes -- some with gardens and even bee hives. A couple historic buildings and a fire department mark the tiny downtown. Like countless other small towns in the Ozarks, it has seen busier days.
This year, a couple friends and neighbors invited us to Dadeville's 4th of July celebration, so several of us decided to check it out. The event was sponsored by the Dadeville Fire Department as well as area churches. For about a decade, the town has celebrated Independence Day together with parade and picnic. Living so close, I've driven through Dadeville dozens of times. When we pulled into town on the 4th of July, the town was hardly recognizable. The parking lots and side streets were packed with vehicles. Families lined Main Street as more than 500 people packed the little town for some holiday fun.
We drove through town twice before deciding to park at the school. We carried our lawn chairs the short distance back to the parade route. A man wearing a blue VBS T-shirt greeted us and gave my nieces and nephew each a package of Cracker Jacks and a gold drawstring backpack with "God's Team" printed on it for catching candy. We found a spot in front of the fire department to set up our chairs and wait for the parade to start.
Being fairly new to the area, I enjoyed the opportunity to people-watch while we waited. I was impressed by the patriotism of our small town. Almost everyone of every age group was dressed in red, white, and blue. Dozens of people wore church or Christian-themed T-shirts. It seemed every generation was represented -- kids sat beside their parents and grandparents. Families chatted happily with each other as the kids bubbled over with excited energy, grasping their empty "God's Team" bags in anticipation.
And then the parade began.
It was a simple, downhome affair. Area churches, businesses, and farms sponsored floats, while locals cruised in their classic vehicles and tractors. There were even motorbikes and all-terrain vehicles represented. Growing up in very small towns myself, I was impressed with the copious amount of candy my nieces and nephew collected. They caught a wide variety -- from suckers to candy bars. There were also jerky sticks, glow sticks, and several toys. Not having been to a parade in years, the kids had a blast. My nephew in particular went a bit candy-crazy as he stuffed his little backpack rather full.
Lastly, what appeared to be a saddle club made their way down the street. My nieces were especially impressed with the red, white, and blue bedazzled horses. The little girl leading the group wore a proud smile and a "God's Country" T-shirt as she rode by.
As I sat there soaking in so much wholesome family fun, it really felt like America was God's country. Of course, it is and always will be -- whether we want to acknowledge it or not. But sitting there, surrounded by good country people, I felt like this sort of simple community celebration is the perfect antidote to all the anti-American crazy raging in our country. Here, in the heart of America, we are still what America was -- and what she could be again. It just takes returning to our God and learning to love one another again. It's never perfect and always messy, but in Christ, it is possible.
After the parade, we all packed up our chairs and walked over to the city park for a town picnic. As we set up our chairs, the local classic country band DACAMO set up on a trailer-turned stage. Before the music began, singer Matthew Huchteman invited one of the area pastors to bless the meal. The entire crowd bowed their heads to pray together before a local girl -- Avery Kelly -- sang the National Anthem. As she finished, the crowd made it's way to the Dadeville Community Building for complementary hotdogs, chips, soda, and ice cream. Area church members served us lunch with a smile. Members of First Baptist Church of Dadeville estimated they grilled and handed out more than 500 hotdogs and about 15 gallons of ice cream. I even got invited to church -- something that isn't too common these days. I made several new acquaintances in the lunch line, as everyone made us feel welcome. Several tables were set up inside for those who preferred to eat there. A 4H sign decorated a wall, reminding us all "to make the best better." Seeing it there brought back so many memories, and I felt even more at home.
DACAMO and Gracie Sappington played for an hour while we all enjoyed lunch. I recognized many of the old tunes, though some were new for me. The atmosphere was festive and communal, as kids played at the playground together while adults visited while listening to the music.
Attending our first Dadeville 4th of July celebration was a true blessing. It made me even more thankful to be a part of this community. It feels good to live in an area where communal traditions still matter, and people still want to celebrate together. I'm looking forward to getting to know these neighbors better and making some of their traditions my own.