By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
With expected temperatures in the low 80s, a carnival, entertainment and 150 food and craft vendors, Cabotfest organizers are expecting the crowd at this weekend’s Cabotfest to surpass last year’s attendance of 25,000.
This is the 34th year for the annual festival that started after the tornado of 1976 that destroyed most of the city’s business district.
The festival is from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday in downtown Cabot. But the carnival will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday. Ride armbands for Friday only are available for $15.
Entertainers on the main stage will include KK Kennedy and the Kampground Express, Crosspoint, Single Tree, Luke Williams, Price Crew, Corey Lamb and Riverbilly.
A new attraction this year is the mobile-adoption center from Cabot Animal Control that is equipped with cages that open to the outside.
The festival has a strict no-animal policy, so last year, Animal Control brought a dog and a cat in cages from the shelter. They were adopted almost immediately and their new owners picked them up later.
This year, the city paid about $40,000 for a trailer built to temporarily house about 100 animals with the intention of taking it to festivals or anywhere people gather.
The no-animals rule still applies, but new owners will be given a certificate to pick their pets up later.
The festival is a fundraiser for the Cabot Chamber of Commerce, which uses the revenue to cover operating expenses.
This year, Karen Davis, the assistant to Cabot school superintendent Tony Thur-man, is the festival chairperson, succeeding Bill O’Brien, who was the chairman for a decade.
Melissa Underwood is in charge of vendors and Amy Ross is handling entertainment.
The Cabot Lions Club will again host its annual pancake breakfast from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Cabot First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.
Tickets are available from any Cabot Lions Club member. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 for adults and $2 for kids under 10.
Carry-out orders can be placed that morning or in advance by calling 920-2122.
