Tuesday, October 04, 2011

TOP STORY >> Celebration marks rise after tornado

Cabot Fest is Saturday in downtown Cabot. The free festival, which began as a way for the community to come together two years after the deadly tornado of 1976, is celebrating its 34th year.

Saturday’s events run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. A carnival which opens at 6 p.m. Friday behind city hall will kick off the festival.

Armbands for unlimited rides are good on Friday. They are $12 in advance at the chamber of commerce office or $15 Friday night.

On Saturday, the fun begins early with the Cabot Lions Club pancake breakfast from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church fellowship hall. The Lions Club will be serving all-you-can eat pancakes, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, juice and milk. The cost is $5 for adults and $2 for children 10 years old and younger. All proceeds benefit the Cabot Lions Clubs and the programs they support.

Miss Arkansas Kristen Glover will perform at 10 a.m. during the opening ceremony. She will be followed by Next Generation at 11:30 a.m., the Hallelujah Harmony Quartet at 12:30 p.m., School Boy Humor at 1:30 p.m., Highland Sky at 2:30 p.m., Adam Hambrick at 3:30 p.m. and county musician Tyler Farr will close out at 5 p.m. Farr has a released the single “Camouflage.” He was born and raised in Garden City, Mo.

“Cabot Fest is one of Arkansas’ premier festivals. It is a family friendly atmosphere with great food and entertainment. It brings thousands to the city to celebrate the rebirth of the city. It is the largest event the chamber holds,” chamber director Billye Everett said.

An estimated 160 booths are expected to set up for Cabot Fest, with 10 food vendors offering fair food favorites such as cupcakes and Mexican cuisine.

United Freestyle Stunt Team from Texas will amaze the crowd with BMX freestyle bike, in-line skates and skateboard stunts at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

The cricket-spitting contest will be back this year, so is the rock climbing wall. The Junior Auxiliary of Cabot’s Miss Cabot Fest pageant begins at 9 a.m. in the Cabot Community Theater, 204 N. First St. The Cabot Christian Club car show has expanded to the First Security Bank and Centennial Bank parking lots to allow more room to show vehicles.

The Kids Zone will have four inflatable playgrounds, two more than last year. The chamber will have free face painting and balloon artist Jesse Trimble of Cabot will be entertaining youngster with her talents.

The Cabot Church of Christ is sponsoring a baby changing station at the Kids Zone. The church is providing diapers, wipes and changing station in a private station.

No pets are allowed at Cabot Fest.

Schedule of Events

FRIDAY

6 p.m. carnival (behind city hall


SATURDAY


6 to 10 a.m. Lions Club pancake breakfast at First Baptist Church

9 a.m. Miss Cabot Fest Pageant

10 a.m. Miss Arkansas performs

11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. United Freestyle Stunt Team

11:30 a.m. Next Generation performs

12:30 p.m. Hallelujah Harmony Quartet

1:30 p.m. School Boy Humor performs

2:30 p.m. Highland Sky performs

3:30 p.m. Adam Hambrick performs

5 p.m. Tyler Farr performs