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When Rain Showers Threatened … Summer Fest Square Dance Moved Inside and Went Ahead as Planned

Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the square dancers Saturday night, May 24.  It did however, move the festivities from the upper Ava City Park to the Ava square.
In conjunction with the Ava Summer Fest, Marriott Music hosted the full-house event with David Scrivner on fiddle, Alvie Dooms on guitar, and Nathan McAllister on banjo.
Many new faces filled dance sets throughout the night as veteran dancers Andy Elder and Evelyn Pruitt led them through typical square dances.
This form of socializing was the only entertainment a lot of folks had in early days. Dances were held at homes where the furniture and carpet would be rolled back to allow for a dance floor and the kitchen would become a pot luck buffet.
Over the years dances evolved into weekly or monthly events held at local venues. Many dances in this area were hosted by Edna Mae Davis and played by Bob Holt and Alvie Dooms.  Since Bob’s passing in 2004, David Scrivner has become a fixture at these events, playing fiddle with Alvie on guitar.
David was an apprentice and student of Bob Holt for many years, learning to play dance tunes and learning to square dance under Edna Mae’s direction. She and Bob were instrumental for keeping music and dance alive in the Ava area for many years.
“It was an honor for Marriott Music to be a part of the Ava Summer Fest and to host the Bob Holt Memorial Fiddle Contest and the square dance that followed,” said Cathy Marriott, daughter of the late Dean and Edna Mae Davis.
“Everyone had a great time and the music was great!  We can’t wait till next year’s dance,” Marriott said excitedly.