Festival Offers Food, Friends and Gospel Music at Family Theme Park
by Randall Murphree
September 6, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Some of the best groups in Southern Gospel music are on the stages at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, for the first Southern Gospel Picnic. The 11-day celebration features 500 performances on stages throughout the family-friendly theme park.It's not too late to get in on the fun. And the inspiration. And, of course, the fried chicken! The event runs through September 10, and still to come are The Dove Brothers (September 7-8), humorist Dennis Swanberg ("The Swan," September 7-10), the Florida Boys (September 10) and more.
For the kids, there are dozens of rides named after the Ozark traditions reflected in the park -- rides like Lost River of the Ozarks, American Plunge and Fire-in-the-Hole. The brand new Grand Exposition features ten new family rides and new games.
Jack and Pete Herschend have been with Silver Dollar City since its inception in the 1950s. Their parents began building the park around the entrance to Marvel Cave when Jack and Pete were still teenagers. Today, the brothers are still committed to the Christian principles adopted by their parents to operate the business.
The corporate mission statement begins with this declaration: "Our Mission -- Create Memories Worth Repeating." It proceeds to include these points: to exceed customer expectations, to empower each other (among personnel), to provide a themed environment, and to constantly improve, "all in a manner consistent with Christian values and ethics."
Pete says he accepted Christ as a young man, but the family Christian tradition was not much more than a tradition for him. Then in 1967, he and his wife JoDee (as well as Jack and his wife Sherry) truly committed their lives to the Lord.
"The difference between accepting Jesus as Savior and being committed to Him as Savior is more than just a word play," Pete said.
Regarding the company, he added, "The objective of this company today is not to bring people to the Lord. We are in the entertainment business and we work very, very hard to provide worthwhile entertainment."
The Herschend couples hosted a press conference September 2. Afterward, during a stroll in the park, Jack paused to listen to the Homestead Pickers at McHaffie's Homestead, an old Ozark cabin reconstructed on the site. "These men are authentic," Jack said. "This is what Silver Dollar City is about."
When the band took a break, Danny Eakin, one of the pickers, greeted Jack as if they were the best of friends. That seems to be the rule as Jack walks about the complex. "We love this place," Danny said, "because we can witness for the Lord."
The seamless weaving of work and witness is the major thing that sets Silver Dollar City apart from other theme parks. The Herschends are unapologetic in saying that, while the company is an entertainment company, they hope Silver Dollar City goes down in history as the company that shared Jesus Christ with enough people to make an impact on the world.
The Southern Gospel Picnic kicked off August 31 with The McKameys, the Mark Trammell Trio, Color of Mercy and more great groups. Altogether, the Silver Dollar stages are showcasing almost 50 of Southern Gospel music's top artists during these 11 days.
The theme park hosts various seasonal and special-interest events annually, including the Festival of American Music and Crafts coming up September14 - October 28. It will be a star-studded salute to the Great American Cowboy. Performers on tap include Mark Chesnutt, Roy Rogers Jr., Riders in the Sky, Buck Taylor and dozens more.
More than four million lights will decorate the park for An Old Time Christmas November 4 - December 30. It is one of the nation's most acclaimed holiday events with its spectacular Gifts of Christmas Holiday Light Parade and the popular show A Dickens' Christmas Carol.
Randall Murphree, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is editor of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. For more information on Silver Dollar City's events, schedules and days of operation during the Christmas festival, call 800-831-4FUN or visit SilverDollarCity.com.
