Marcia Thomas
Contributing Writer
They’re coming back!
Yes, the great Sons of the Pioneers will be returning to Jefferson for a fantastic family friendly concert during the Pioneers Days weekend of Saturday, September 3, 2022. The concert will be held beginning 7:30 pm at the city’s Visitor/Tourist Building on Austin Street.
The weekend, known for decades as the Labor Day weekend, was transformed last year into Jefferson’s Pioneer Days weekend for a 3-day event. This year the weekend has been re-fashioned into a one day event with, again, a featured appearance by the world-famous Sons of the Pioneer musical group..The Pioneer Days event was created by the towns community theatre, the Opera House Theatre Players, who for years has opened their new season each year with a big local event to encourage new membership and compliment the old ones as well as to benefit the community.
According to theatre president, Marcia Thomas, “we were thrilled with the reception that the Sons of the Pioneers received last year as well as the other little things that we put together. It drew several hundred people into town for the entire weekend and created excitement every single day with a parade, a BBQ with entertainment, a replicated historical shoot-out, and a western street dance. This year, however, we have had to scale back a bit due to the still-existing illness going around and, most of all, the big inflation that is now occurring. It has made a huge difference in everything. The Sons of the Pioneers had to increase their fee, we were faced with illness of board members, and mostly we just didn’t have the funds – even with a grant – to make plans for more than one day, so that’s why we’ve rescaled it to one day. After months of working on ideas and figuring out ways to raise money, in addition to receiving about half as many donations as last year, the Sons of the Pioneers and us finally made a deal and they are practically on their way here!! “.
Tickets are on sale now at /The Willow Tree, a few at the Visitor/Tourist Building, and on the theatre website www.JeffersonOperaHouseTheatrePlayers.com. The VIP tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis at $55 per person and the General Admission tickets are $30 per person. The maximum number of seats in the Visitors Building where the concert will be held is only 300 and early purchases are advised. Groups of 12 or more may purchase a block of seats by contacting the theatre at 903-665-8243.