Cars proceed down Main St. Cowpens during the Mighty Moo parade on June 14, 2008.Mighty Moo mighty funAnnual festival is a reunion for veterans from across the country
By Dudley Browndudley.brown@shj.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 .
Cowpens' annual Mighty Moo Festival is more than an opportunity for the small town to enjoy carnival food and crown Miss Cowpens. It's also a reunion for veterans living around the country, including some World War II vets.
This is the 33rd year of the Mighty Moo Festival, which will attract a camera crew from the U.S. Department of Defense this year. Two naval ships, including one currently stationed in Japan, have carried the name of the small Spartanburg County town. Five sailors serving on the ship will be in Cowpens this weekend and those who've served on the ship in previous years will also reunite during the Mighty Moo Festival.
“They're proud to know the town they represent in the military is so supportive,” said Pam Camp, chairwoman of this year's Mighty Moo Festival.
The festival opened Wednesday night with a showing of “The Patriot” in Veteran's Park to commemorate the town being the site of a Revolutionary War battle. Remaining festivities include carnival rides, street dances, the Miss Cowpens pageant, parades, a ceremony recognizing veterans, fireworks and a gospel concert will conclude this year's festival Sunday evening.
The festival's parades start at 9:15 Saturday morning with children dressed in red, white and blue marching through downtown. The town's Mighty Moo Parade, which includes 80 to 100 participates, will take place downtown at 10 a.m. with USS Cowpens veterans serving as grand marshals. The parades will be followed by a ceremony in Veterans Park that recognizes all veterans in attendance.
George Martin, a Cowpens businessman, wrote a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt asking that an aircraft carrier be named after the town. The first USS Cowpens was commissioned in 1943 during World War II. The second USS Cowpens was commissioned in 1991.
This is the 33rd year of the Mighty Moo Festival, which will attract a camera crew from the U.S. Department of Defense this year. Two naval ships, including one currently stationed in Japan, have carried the name of the small Spartanburg County town. Five sailors serving on the ship will be in Cowpens this weekend and those who've served on the ship in previous years will also reunite during the Mighty Moo Festival.
“They're proud to know the town they represent in the military is so supportive,” said Pam Camp, chairwoman of this year's Mighty Moo Festival.
The festival opened Wednesday night with a showing of “The Patriot” in Veteran's Park to commemorate the town being the site of a Revolutionary War battle. Remaining festivities include carnival rides, street dances, the Miss Cowpens pageant, parades, a ceremony recognizing veterans, fireworks and a gospel concert will conclude this year's festival Sunday evening.
The festival's parades start at 9:15 Saturday morning with children dressed in red, white and blue marching through downtown. The town's Mighty Moo Parade, which includes 80 to 100 participates, will take place downtown at 10 a.m. with USS Cowpens veterans serving as grand marshals. The parades will be followed by a ceremony in Veterans Park that recognizes all veterans in attendance.
George Martin, a Cowpens businessman, wrote a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt asking that an aircraft carrier be named after the town. The first USS Cowpens was commissioned in 1943 during World War II. The second USS Cowpens was commissioned in 1991.
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