Hootenanny Oct. 12 to benefit New Smyrna Beach PAL

NSB Police Chief George Markert / Headline SurferHeadline Surfer photo  / New Smyrna Beach Police Chief George Markert is gearing up for an old-country style party on Oct. 12 -- a Hootennany -- to benefit the PAL programs for kids.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Sounds of contemporary country music and southern rock will fill a hangar at the New Smyrna Beach Airport next month. as the New Smyrna Beach Police Athletic League will host Hangar Hootenanny 2013.

The country-themed fundraiser will he held from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, in the American Aero Services hangar, 1501 Airway Circle, at the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport.

“The New Smyrna Beach Police Athletic League offers safe activities and programs that are designed to instill positive values, character and leadership skills,” Police Chief George Markert told Headline Surfer. “Recent funding challenges have endangered some of the programs. The Hootenanny is a fun way for the community to help us to raise the money we need to continue to offer quality programs for Southeast Volusia youth.”

“The New Smyrna Beach Police Athletic League offers safe activities and programs that are designed to instill positive values, character and leadership skills,” Police Chief George Markert told Headline Surfer. “Recent funding challenges have endangered some of the programs. The Hootenanny is a fun way for the community to help us to raise the money we need to continue to offer quality programs for Southeast Volusia youth.”

The Hootenanny will feature live music by the band Saloonatix, as well as dancing, barbecue, food tastings by several area restaurants, and silent and live auctions, Markert said.

Held in a hangar that houses vintage aircraft under restoration, hootenanny guests may view the projects and visit the venue’s small museum.

“We wanted to offer our community supporters a different type of event,” Markert explained. “There aren’t many country-themed events or venues in the region.

The ‘Hoot’ takes advantage of that by offering folks a place to listen and dance to live country music while they financially support our local youth.”

Presented by Sharon M. Adams and St. Peter the Fisherman Episcopal Church, the event’s proceeds will benefit New Smyrna Beach PAL youth programs.

Fast FACTS: New Smyrna Beach PAL

New Smyrna Beach Police Athletic League is a 501(c)3 organization that involves youth in athletic, after-school, mentoring, self-esteem building and leadership programs. Youth from Oak Hill, Samsula, Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach participate in programs. Students range in age from 7 to 17.

Tickets:

Tickets are $50 each or two for $75 and are available at the New Smyrna Beach Police Department, 246 Industrial Park Drive. For more information, please call (386) 424-2220 or log on to www.nsbpal.com/HOOT.

Did You Know?

YouTube download / Headline Surfer / Hootenanny Hoot trailer / Here's an example of a Hootenanny from this early 1960s promo.
Hootenanny is a Scottish word meaning "celebration" and or "party," most closely associated with Hogmanay - the Scots New Year celebration which, traditionally, is the biggest celebration on the Scottish calendar. With the Scots being one of the biggest groups of settlers in the Appalachian region of North America [bringing with them their whiskey-making tradition and methods, leading to the area's 'moonshining' tradition] it's not surprising that hootenanny became an Appalachian colloquialism although it became used in early 20th century America as a placeholder name to refer to things whose names were forgotten or unknown.
 
In this usage it was synonymous with "thingamajig" or "whatchamacallit," as in "hand me that hootenanny."
Hootenanny was also an old country word for "party."
 
Nowadays the word most commonly refers to a folk music party with an open mic, at which different performers are welcome to get up and play in front of an audience.
 
"Hootenanny" was also used by the leadership of early firefighting battalions to describe a "meeting of the minds" of higher ups or various department heads. The term has trickled down to working companies and is now used, with some frequency, at working incidents and other circumstances that require a focused discussion between key individuals.