By ALIYA FELDMAN
Leader editor
CabotFest is on Saturday. Festivalgoers should be happy to welcome back some of the entertainment they haven’t seen for the past couple of years at the downtown celebration.
Two such festival comebacks will include a motorcycle and bicycle show featuring bikes from all over the state in the Centennial Bank parking lot and the Arkansas Game and Fish aquarium, which is planned for set up in Kids Zone in the Regions Bank parking lot.
The bike show is in conjunction with the Nancy Cochran Memorial Dice Run, sponsored in part by First Community Bank and ABATE, a nonprofit organization that promotes and teaches motorcycle safety.
Registration for the motorcycle show starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. at a cost of $10. Trophies will be given to bikes in the categories of best paint, best chrome, best antique, best of show and best junior (under 18).
Other CabotFest 2009 entertainment includes singers Adam Hambrick at noon, Hallelujah Harmony Quartet at 1 p.m., Next Generation Band at 2 p.m., Howie and Amy Ross at 3 p.m., the Jed and Harry Clark Band at 4 p.m., Cliff Hudson at 5 p.m.,
Ment2B at 6 p.m., Red Shepherd Band at 7 p.m. and Venus Mission at 8 p.m.
All day, starting at 9:30 a.m., performers from Cabot and surrounding towns will grace the First Arkansas Bank and Trust
Performance Stage, located near the police department.
Those performers include Lasa Robertson’s voice students, Emerald Dragon, the Stormz, Kidz Choir of New Life Church, dancers from Lana’s Dance Studio, gymnasts from River City Gymnastics, dancers from Priscilla’s School of Dance, Page and Company, Cabot Gymnastics Academy, dramatist Toby Gilmore, Carla’s Dance Company, Cabot Dance Academy, the Price Crew and the David Weatherly Band.
Visitors will also get to peruse what arts and crafts vendors will have for sale. They have rented every available space. “We are completely full,” Angie Basinger, office manager at the Cabot Chamber of Commerce, said.
Vendors will open shop at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Food available will include Cajun fare, Chinese, funnel cakes, frappucinos and more.
“The newest food we’ll have is Annabelle’s Concession,” Basinger said. “They’ll have non-alcoholic daiquiris and strawberry shortcake.” This year, kettle corn will also be available.
Armbands that will allow unlimited rides at the carnival Friday night are available at the chamber for $12. They can be bought at the carnival for $15. They are only good on Friday. On Saturday, cost of admission will be per ride.
In addition to inflatables at Kids Zone, which is free for children to enjoy, there will be the always-favorite, cricket-spitting contest and a rock-climbing wall for the whole family to get some exercise together.
In addition to Centennial Bank and First Arkansas Bank, sponsors include Knight’s Super Foods, Arkansas Federal Credit Union, Cabot’s Advertising and Promotion Commission, ASU-Beebe, Cabot Parks and Recreation, ReMax Realty, Fellowship Bible Church, First Community Bank, The Leader, Gwatney Chevrolet, First Electric, Priscilla’s School of Dance, Kroger and many more businesses that are part of the Cabot community.
Opening ceremonies are at 10 a.m. For more information on CabotFest, call the chamber of commerce at 501-843-2136.