By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
The 15th annual Cabot Strawberry Festival presented by the Junior Auxiliary of Cabot is Friday and next Saturday in downtown Cabot. Admission is free.
The festival starts at 6 p.m. Friday with food trucks and vendors. Local musicians take the stage with Justin Bratcher performing at 6 p.m. and Luke Williams at 7 p.m. Both are from Beebe.
The carnival will run from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
On Saturday the Run for the Berries, bubble-run begins at 7 a.m. behind the Fred’s store. It is a one-mile or a 5K timed race.
Next Saturday’s fun kicks off at 9 a.m. It will have 100 vendors, 45 more than last year. The city is blocking the street in front of the police department giving more room for vendors. Eight food trucks will be offering items from barbecue to home cooking. The Junior Auxiliary will be selling strawberry shortcakes and strawberry lemonades.
“We will have three strawberry farms (Barnhill Orchards, Cabot Patch and Holland Bottom Farm). Get them before noon. They typically sell out,” Junior Auxiliary president Amy Hughes said.
“A new thing for this year is the return of the Berry Patch Kids Zone. It is $5 entry per child for all day. There will be face painting, bounce houses, goodie bags and a Build-A-Pet with a custom Strawberry Festival shirt,” Hughes said.
Last year, the festival moved to downtown from the Veterans Park Community Center.
Hughes said the Junior Auxiliary had a positive response with the new permanent location. It has ease of parking, a familiar location and the city’s total support.
The Miss Strawberry Fest pageant will be at 10 a.m. at the Freshman Academy. Contestants can register online at www.jacabot.com or at the event.
Saturday’s entertainment stage will feature school acts and local performing arts during the day. The Zac Dunlap Band of Little Rock plays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Closing out the festival is country musician Barrett Baber of Nashville, Tenn., who will perform from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Marion native was in the Top Three in “The Voice” Season Nine. Baber released his album “A Room Full of Fighters” last year.
Proceeds from the Straw-berry Festival fund Junior Auxiliary projects for children of Cabot.
