Magazine Homecoming
By Glenn Parrish
Any number of small towns in Arkansas revolve around their school. South Logan County’s Magazine takes it to an extreme. About three and a half decades ago a group of citizens and graduates of the high school in the town created a homecoming event held every year on the second weekend of June. Like most schools, the school had, for many years, held a homecoming event, but without football until the 1990s the event was during basketball season and in the winter so the summer event was an instant success. For over 30 years the event was held primarily in the city’s park, now named for former mayor Hank D. Stone, but in 2017, in hopes of continuing to attract long time attendees, many of the festivities were moved to the most logical place, the school campus. After all, the reunion weekend typically features the Magazine High Class from half of 50 years earlier. In 2019 that meant the 1969 grads, and a “Summer of Love,” theme. Class members boarded a flatbed trailer to ride in the homecoming parade. The weekend also typically draws other classes, Having most events at the school provides not only an air conditioned setting for folks looking to avoid the heat, it also allows them to take in performances by elementary school kids and the high school band, the cafeteria for a kickoff breakfast, and – a big hit – a location to display memorabilia like photographs and trophies earned during yesteryear sporting performances. An addition to the event schedule since the move to the school has also been the alumni basketball games 1. Bearing the colors, Boy Scouts lead the homecoming parade. 2. A homecoming regular Darren McConnell came home to celebrate a Class of 1979 reunion in June of 2019. 3. Homecoming attendees used sno-cones to beat the heat in 2018.
where players get to play in the new Diamondback Arena. There are, of course, plenty of outdoor event like the turtle races, live bands, kids’ activities including snocones, all of which leads up to the homecoming rode-o at Chigger Valley Arena to wrap up the day.
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