Winchester Homecoming Festival a success

By Ryan Applegate

People’s Defender

The Winchester Homecoming Festival was held from August 23–25, and it went off without a hitch. The Village of Winchester welcomed residents and out-of-towners for the three-day event, which saw the return of caramel corn and the ever-popular Historic Ghost Ride.

The Queen contest, held Friday evening, crowned Kynsleigh McCleese as Queen. Anna Shelton was named first runner-up, Jasmine Hill was second runner-up, Kylee Moore was third runner-up, and Bethany Gibson was fourth runner-up.

Friday’s opening ceremony included the dedication of a tree and a remembrance stone for the late Anita Kirker and Dennis Pence, both longtime members and volunteers of the Winchester Homecoming Festival committee.

The Tractor Pull event on Saturday was a major success, running well into the night. “The tractor pull was a huge success, it didn’t end until after midnight on Saturday,” said Festival Committee President Patsy Roberts.

Roberts noted that the Homecoming Festival was so well-attended that some vendors ran out of food on the final day. She expressed her satisfaction with the event’s outcome and said “I think it went very well. We had great attendance and great weather. Other than the heat, I didn’t hear any complaints.”