I miss all kinds of social gatherings, and for some reason, today I began to reminisce about Seminole County’s yearly, major event, Sorghum Days in Wewoka, Oklahoma. I began remembering about wandering down Wewoka’s main street after the parade. By noon I could hear music from the live, outdoor bands. I could smell the vendors’ tantalizing foods of roasted turkey legs, cotton candy, roasting ears of corn, great Mexican foods, hamburger and hotdogs, all near soft drink stands.

I could visualize passing various booths of clothing, homemade candies, fruit pies, breads, jewelry, woodworking, personalized goods, plaques, tee shirts and other items with Bible verses, homemade children’s toys, homemade baby quilts and clothing, candles and essential oils, ceramics, baseball collectors’ cards, crocheted items, framed paintings and/or photographs, homemade canned foods, and leather goods. And, surely I’ve forgotten some.

Walking on south a couple of blocks, perhaps passing someone riding a horse from the parade earlier, I’d stop for lunch at the large Indian church that always had delicious Indian tacos for sale, then I’d near the Seminole Nation Museum grounds. I’d walk in the thick grass (sometimes wet from recent rains), seeing people sitting in lawn chairs or on haybales as they were watching people walk by, yelling and waving at friends when they spotted them in the crowd.

Thinking back, I also miss seeing the outdoor, old-time sorghum-making structure run by mules walking in a circle grinding the sorghum cane stalks. (The fresh-made sorghum is always available for sale inside the Museum.) Especially in this area, I miss seeing Indian arts and crafts demonstrations and goods for sale; soap making; and sports gear for the outdoorsmen (and ladies). Then I’d notice a few men playing games like horseshoes in a small area. It was all about having good, family fun.

Inside the Museum are walls full of old framed pictures of yesteryear, as well as rooms full of antiques. And, there’s always unique native works of art and sculpture throughout the large rooms. During Sorghum Days, there’s always guest artists/speakers sharing historical facts. They have a beautiful array of varied offerings in their gift shop. One can find out more about the Museum’s year-round activities online, just Google “Seminole Nation Museum.”

For some reason this yearly festive event comes at a time of storm and rains. About 4 years ago, I had a booth selling books about the town of Seminole for the Seminole Library. A few hours after setting up the booth, winds started to blow. In no time the wind became stronger and began blowing over some of the booths and then it rained a little. I had my books in bins, so they weren’t ruined by the little fiasco. Many of us began to pack up and leave. Needless to say, that year’s long-time-planned Sorghum Days was cut short.

I like living near Seminole and Wewoka and learning its rich history. Hopefully, we’ll soon be able to continue with other social activities like Sorghum Days this fall. Even though we aren’t sure whether living will be back to somewhat normal by then, hundreds of crafts are being made, Museum activities are being planned, projects are being scheduled, and many, many of us will still plan on attending this year’s October event. But, as for now, thinking about the “good ole days” is a great way to remember some of the good times we’ve had.