Visitors should come hungry and ready to laugh when the Highland County Senior Citizens Center holds its annual Hee Haw Show on Saturday, July 27, according to executive director Mechell Frost.
“We’ve did it for several years now and our members and staff make up the entire cast and provide the live music,” Frost said. “It’s going to be a little bit different every year. You may hear some of the same songs, but that’s because we play the country classics that people like to hear. Some of the characters are similar, too, but they’ll all be doing new material. And we do have the ‘Pillow People’ back because they’re so popular.”
Admission to the show is $10 and there’s another $5 fee for a meal of “possum” (actually meatloaf formed into the shape of a opossum), cole slaw, chips and sweet tea. The doors open at 5:30 p.m., when dinner will start being served, and the two-hour show starts at 6:30 p.m. There will be an intermission during the show when the dinner special and other sandwiches and snacks will be available for purchase at Granny’s Rodent Roadhouse.
Frost said the show is geared around the theme of the former “Hee Haw” television show.
“When people come in they’ll see the show characters interacting with the crowd, our band will be playing and there will be people eating,” Frost said. “The opossum is kind our mascot for the show, it’s been an ongoing joke for years that we serve opossum at the dinner, and one of our characters carries around a stuffed opossum during the show.”
There are 200 tickets available for the show that Frost said usually is sold out or comes close.
Frost said this year’s show is being dedicated to late longtime senior center member Eloise Garrison.
“She was a big supporter of the Hee Haw Show and always brought her family to it,” Frost said. “She meant so much to the center and the band, so we’re dedicating the show to her. She always participated in it and this is the first time we will be doing the show without her. She’s gonna be missed this year.”
The sponsors of the show are Community Markets and the Laurels of Hillsboro.
“Just come and expect to be laughing,” Frost said. “Come hungry, too. We shape the meatloaf in the shape of a opossum and I know it doesn’t sound very appealing, but it tastes great and is funny, too.”
For more information call the center at 937-393-4745.
The Saturday following the Hee Haw Show, on Aug. 3, the senior center, located at 185 Muntz St., Hillsboro, will host Bacon Bingo. The doors open at noon and bingo is played from 1-4 p.m. The winners of each game will receive three pounds of bacon, and there is no limit to how many times you can win. Players must be at least 18 years old.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522.
