Jackson Homecomers continues tradition of supporting local businesses, community

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) — JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) — As carnival rides, food vendors and live entertainment fill downtown Jackson for the annual Jackson Homecomers festival, organizers say the event is about more than just bringing people together for a weekend of fun.

The festival, organized by American Legion Post 158, also provides local businesses with an opportunity to reach new customers and showcase what Jackson has to offer.

The annual festival features dozens of vendors ranging from longtime Jackson staples to newer businesses looking to grow their customer base.

Kimmie Clark, co-owner of Sugar Chic Creamory, said the business has participated in Jackson Homecomers for several years and continues to see the benefits.

“We’ve done this for several years. I think this may be our fifth or sixth year,” Clark said. “I think it has a great impact on the community. It brings the community together. I think it does bring a lot more traffic to our business. It gets our name out there. It’s good for all the vendors that are here.”

While established businesses reconnect with familiar customers each year, newer vendors say the festival helps them continue building relationships with the community.

Hello Health Fitness and Nutrition owners Tara and Tyler Qualls said returning for their second Jackson Homecomers has helped build on the connections they made during their first year.

“We really enjoy coming to this because it is so popular,” Tara and Tyler Qualls said. “We do get a lot of exposure for our business. We’ve seen people come back from last year. They’ve followed us and come back to eat our foods, and it’s just a big deal with advertising for us. I think it’s good for Jackson too. It’s one of the bigger events that Jackson holds.”

Steve Engelmann, chairman of Jackson Homecomers, and a part of the American Legion Post 158, said visitors travel from across the region—and even from out of state—to attend the festival and reconnect with family and friends.

“A lot of people come in from all over, even out of state,” Engelmann said. “They grew up here. They have friends and family back here. It was really set up to bring the whole community together and outlying areas here as well.”

Engelmann said that traffic extends beyond the festival grounds, with visitors stopping at local restaurants, shops and businesses throughout uptown Jackson.

“We work great with the community,” Engelmann said. “This is a tight-knit community. They support us. We support them. Uptown Jackson has been promoting this thing for me. We hope to continue to climb and put Jackson really on the map.”

Jackson Homecomers continues through Saturday with carnival rides, food vendors, live entertainment and family-friendly activities in downtown Jackson