Poke Sallet wrap up
Published 7:30 pm Monday, June 6, 2022
The final day of the Poke Sallet Festival on Saturday featured rides and attractions for young and old alike/Photo by Joe Asher
Crowds gathered to enjoy several matches from Ohio Valley Wrestling at the Poke Sallet Festival on Saturday/Photo by Joe Asher
The streets of downtown Harlan were lined with classic and customized cars on Saturday morning for the Sue Ford Memorial Car and Bike Show, one of the attractions at the Poke Sallet Festival/Photo by Joe Asher
The air was filled with the sounds of Bluegrass music at the Poke Sallet Festival on Saturday/Photo by Joe Asher
Bluegrass music filled the air at the Poke Sallet Festival on Saturday/Photo by Joe Asher
Festivalgoers lined up to check out the merchandise from multiple vendors at the Poke Sallet Festival on Saturday/Photo by Joe Asher
Ohio Valley Wrestling wowed the crowd on Saturday at the Poke Sallet Festival/Photo by Joe Asher
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The 67th Poke Sallet Festival is now in the history books, with the final day of the event wrapping up on Saturday with a performance by KISS tribute band Dressed to Kill and professional wrestling entertainment courtesy of Ohio Valley Wrestling.
The festival was in full force the entire day on Saturday, with the usual carnival rides and food vendors up and running. There were also a number of attractions unique to the final day of the festival on tap.
At 10 a.m., the Sue Ford Memorial Car Show kicked off, with folks bringing in their classic and customized cars for the enjoyment of all.
The car show is organized by the Harlan County Christian School.
Julie Collins and April Lawson of the Harlan County Christian School talked about the event from the merchandise booth.
“This is the 11th year that we’ve been doing the car show at the Poke Sallet Festival,” Collins said. “It’s in memory of Sue Ford. This year we added the bike show to the car show.”
According to Collins and Lawson, this year’s car show had 60 vehicles entered.
“We have trophies for best in show and competitor’s choice,” Collins said. “We also have plaques for first and second place in each class.”
Proceeds from the car show go to the Harlan County Christian School located in Putney.
“We would like to thank Sue Ford’s family for letting us do this in her memory,” Lawson said.
In addition to the car show, Bluegrass music was on display, with multiple bluegrass acts performing at the gazebo on the Harlan County Courthouse lawn.
“We’ve heard a bunch of good pickers,” said one festival-goer seated in a chair on the lawn near the performers. “And the weather couldn’t be better.”
The gospel music stage was also active in front of the Harlan Center, with a strong crowd of folks enjoying the live music in the shade of a tent set up to house the show.
Circuit Judge Kent Hendrickson was among Poke Sallet Festival attendees checking out the different foods and merchandise available from the multiple vendors.
“It’s been wonderful,” Hendrickson said. “The crowd turnout has been fantastic. It’s bigger than ever this year, and if it keeps going like this it’s going to be one of the major events in this part of the state if not the state at large.”
Hendrickson added his favorite part of the festival was the wide variety of food selections available.
One of the biggest attractions of the entire festival was a presentation by Ohio Valley Wrestling, which held several matches for a huge crowd in a wring set up on the festival grounds.
Harlan County resident Charles Hensley said he came to the festival specifically to watch the wrestling.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” Hensley said. “I’ve enjoyed wrestling since I was a kid, I’m not going to miss it whenever there’s wrestling in Harlan!”
Following the wrestling matches, Dressed to Kill took the stage in full KISS makeup, putting on a show enjoyed by what had to be one of the most appreciative crowds in Poke Sallet Festival history.
With all the events and performances now complete it can be said this year’s Poke Sallet Festival has been a great success, leaving good memories and smiling faces on many people.
