The Little Balkans Days Festival Committee has to deal with hundreds of details in making arrangements for the annual festivities.
Among them is selecting a theme for the Little Balkans Buttons, which are purchased for entry to selected festival events.
The theme must be consistent with the unique southeast Kansas festival, and this year’s pattern is a red and white nine-patch quilt, in keeping with the 23rd annual Little Balkans Quilt Show, organized by the Little Balkans Quilt Guild.
The design was suggested by Lea Anita Lemmons, committee member and quilt show chairman.
“Early in the year we were developing the design for the lapel buttons, and I suggested a nine-patch,” Lemmons said. “Most of the board members are not quilters and had no idea what I was talking about, so I took one of our nine-patch ribbon toppers in to show them.”
The pattern was accepted. A jaunty derby hat has become symbolic of the festival, and the button, which measures 1 1/2 inches wide and 1 inch tall, has two of them in the lower corners of the patch.
Past button designs have featured the historic clock on the corner of Pritchett Pavilion at Immigrant Park, the miner’s statue at the Miners’ Memorial, coal shovels, knitting thimbles, railroad cars and Big Brutus.
“These buttons are keepsakes, and a lot of people across the country collect them,” Lemmons said.
They also have a practical purpose as well. Purchase of one $4 button permits the wear to attend three Little Balkans Days activities.
The 2010 button events, all at Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium, are the Little Balkans Days Quilt Show, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 4 and noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 5; a matinee performance of Pittsburg Community Theatre’s “That 60’s Show” at 3 p.m. Sept. 4; and the Sunday family movie “Alice in Wonderland” with Johnny Depp at 3 p.m. Sept. 5.
Buttons can be purchased in advance at the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Other locations to purchase buttons or pick up Little Balkans Days brochures include the Pittsburg Public Library, all three Commerce Bank Locations in Pittsburg, Community National Bank in Pittsburg and Frontenac, Citizens National Bank, First Federal Savings and Loan, Kansas Teachers Credit Union, Labette Bank in Pittsburg, M&I Bank, University Bank and U.S. Bank in Pittsburg.
Lemmons said that those who don’t get a chance to get buttons in advance don’t need to worry about missing anything.
“We’ll have a table to buy buttons at the door,” she said.
