The Wayback Machine

[thelarsonsix]

They do still play on one of the porches near the one room school. I realize it's not front and center of the park for everyone to see, but you can hear them as you exit HH and enter the park. I've been drawn over there more than once and found it very enjoyable. On one occasion there a man in top hat and period costume singing a bass cover of Weird Al's "When I Was Your Age". All in the crowd loved it! But what I think you were staying was how you miss the unplanned, unscheduled little "bits" of entertainment. And I agree.

[Kentucky Optimist]

I think having live unstaged music would add a lot to the park.  No need for a start time or amp system or even a playlist...just some good old ozark pickin' and singin'  Much like homestead pickers but all over the park and without a set show time.  They used to do that with musicians sitting at a booth as you walked out of HH on the right side before you got to E&D's bakery. Was there ever anything in that building where the porch is?  Or has it always just been for looks?  My family always finds one place to sit and eat, but we get our food from all over the park and meet in once place.  I've often said that SDC should pay me to walk around all day with a bowl of hot food.  Whenever I'm heading back to meet up with them I bet I have 10 people stop me and ask "where did you get that?" and I give them directions.  Maybe the ultimate answer is to have musicians doing live jam sessions, eating family feud & apple dumplings and giving directions on where to get the food.  Might really bump up food sales!

[rubedugans]

I believe the facade is on a part of the building that is the back room of the current structure, I haven't been in in a while so I really couldn't say.

[How-doFolks]

i just dig the hi-tech stroller.

[Injun Joe]

Only the finest blue canvas for those kids and nice tight short shorts for all.  Ya gotta love the 70's.

[KBCraig]

I think having live unstaged music would add a lot to the park.  No need for a start time or amp system or even a playlist...just some good old ozark pickin' and singin'  Much like homestead pickers but all over the park and without a set show time.  They used to do that with musicians sitting at a booth as you walked out of HH on the right side before you got to E&D's bakery.

That's how it used to be, all over the park.

When the park was much smaller (I'm talking about 35-40 years ago), there were multiple "stages-that-aren't-stages". They were just places under the trees, sometimes with hidden electrical outlets and speakers, where acts ranging would play 45 minute sets, then rotate. All day long you would see musicians walking around the park with instruments, and as soon as you got out of earshot of one act, you would start hearing another.

I really miss that.

[Junior]

KB...I miss those old days, too. I remember the music tower at the lumbercamp, music in the Valley Theater, the old gazebo, the old theater in the woods...on the porch at the pottery shop, and various other places. I remember the bands that played in the morning and late afternoon at the hospitality house entrance. On rainy days the band would play in the area in front of the fireplace in the HH. Also, the park used to pump recorded bluegrass music throughout the PA system. I don't know how many people approached me, asking where the band was, or where they could by a recording of that music.

[rubedugans]

I made it out to my secret spot again, and came home with a few good itema, and one GREAT item! 5 p/cs of table rock dam, and a postcard folder of Marvel & Talking Rocks Cavern. There was an older view from inside the wilderness church looking out, but I passed on it since I already have that one. There were also about 8-9 SOTH p/cs that I also passed on . My gem of the day was get this...a genuine, original....SDC Fan!!!! it is a handmade at SDC (according to the silver sticker) cardboard fan on a wooden handle. It is the print of traditional bag design, and I cannot recall when or where these would have been offered. We had an idea that they might have been offered during echo hollow performances, or at the general store/ hospitality house, but no clue. The fan shows signs of age, but with the "handmade" sticker adheared to the fan, I see it as being from between the mid 80's -early 90's.
Front:

Back:

Postcards:

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

some people are blessed with winning the lotto. some are blessed with amazing talent. you dear sir are blessed with finding great SDC treasures. (lucky duck!)

[rubedugans]

I spent a whopping $5.25 on all that stuff! The fan was the cheapest @ $1.25! Postcards of the dam amounted to $0.35 ea. and the folder of the caves was the priciest!

[tiffanylynnt]

I am really jealous! I never find anything like that!!

[rubedugans]

Tiff the Meramec Caverns stein is still there for $3! but I can't divulge the location of the store!!!

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

I stick my tounge out at you rube. 

[sanddunerider]

another great set of finds rube!!

[Junior]

Rube, the fan was sold in the Hospitality House and Ozark Marketplace in the late 70s/early 80s when I worked out there. I seem to remember they sold for somewhere between fifty cents and a buck or a buck and a half, so you really got a bargain!