ABSTRACT
The Hegins community was hardly alone in sponsoring animal events as part of carnivals or contests connected with small-town reunions. Other reunion events that draw on pioneer heritage or nostalgia for an earlier day include circuses, rodeos, pony rides, horseshoe-pitching contests, and horse-pulling competitions. Since most reunions are summer affairs, it is common to have meat barbecues and picnics. They may also include attendance at church services and pilgrimages to family graves at community cemeteries, often for grounds keeping.
