The 8th Annual McNeil Festival on the Rails and 5th Annual Pork Chop Cook-off will take place Saturday, April 11, and with a variety of events and entertainment, including the band Link Union as the main entertainment, this festival aims to delight the whole family.
A few events are actually held before the festival itself.
The Festival on the Rails Pageant will be held Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Bowman Brasher Center in McNeil.
The Kids Fishing Derby will be held at Logoly State Park on Saturday, April 4.
The treasure hunt sponsored by Playland will begin on the morning of April 6 with clues released daily. The prize is $250.
The festival itself will begin at 10 p.m. and will feature live entertainment all day including: Three Times Denied, Silver Belles and McNeil Church of God; the pork chop cook-off sponsored by Jevac Machine, Inc. which will feature a first prize of $1,250; a spectacular firework show after dark; 3 on 3 basketball tournament; bingo; the antique car show (to be held on the parking lot of First Baptist Church); a kids’ corner with inflatables, games, train rides, greased pig contest, dunking booth; arts and crafts booths; food vendors; and headlining the entertainment is the band Link Union.
“The musical group, Link Union, from Lebanon, MO has preformed throughout the United States,” Terrie Triplet, mayor of McNeil, said.
“The band plays 15 to 20 different instruments including bass guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, cello, penny whistle, flute, tambourine, accordion and harmonica.”
Link Union regularly preforms at Silver Dollar City in Branson and its mandolin, fiddle and banjo players have received the FAME award.
The band’s first single is, “In God We Trust.”
Their performance will start at 7 p.m.
Everyone is encouraged to come out and have a good time.