The Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters invites everyone to attend its quarterly meeting and first-ever bazaar dedicated to those who love all things Ozarks. The event is scheduled for November 4 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The place is the Healing River Worship Center, 265 Oak Ridge Road, Walnut Shade, just off the west side of US Hwy 65 between Ozark and Branson (across from Ozarks Shooters).
From 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. will be the first-ever Ozarks Books and Collectibles Bazaar. The general public will be able to meet Ozarks authors for book signings. There will also be participants with rare books and other Ozarks collectibles to buy, sell, and trade.
At 4:30 p.m. the foremost Ozarks historian of our day and Missouri Humanities speaker, Dr. Brooks Blevins, will give a presentation on “How to Talk Ozark in Seven Simple Steps.” Dr. Blevins will explore Ozarks ethnicity and culture by focusing on dialect and accent. He will discuss speech patterns, words, and phrases that were commonly used in the Ozarks.
As part of his presentation, Dr. Blevins invites the audience to participate and includes a “Talking Ozark” quiz. This audience participation will allow longtime Ozarks residents to enjoy a return to styles of speech and words that likely became unused many years ago. All members of the audience will be able to gain an appreciation of the spread of cultural trends and the regional uniqueness in Missouri, along with the forces that continually serve to undermine that uniqueness. Dr. Blevins will also be available for a book signing of his latest work, Up South in the Ozarks: Dispatches from the Margins.
Admission is free for members of The Society of Ozarkian Hillcrofters. Admission is $5.00 for the general public. All proceeds go to Ozarks cultural preservation projects.
