Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Chicken And Egg Festival Is A Scant Two Weeks Away

Hard as it is to believe, there's only two weeks left until the 12th Annual Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce Chicken and Egg Festival arrives.

The festival will be held June 11-12 this year in an effort to beat the heat. In years past, the celebration has been in late July when the mercury hovers near 100 degrees.

This means there is little time left to register for the different athletic events, and there are plenty to choose from.

The battles will begin with the Chicks with Sticks ladies softball tournament, running June 10-12 at Livingston Field. Entry fee for this double elimination tilt will be $100 per team.

There will be a three home run limit, with teams required to use MSP47 softballs.

However, the Fowl Ball men's tourney on Bemis Field will be held a week earlier at June 5-6.

There is a five home run limit per team for all involved, and it will cost $100 to enter this contest for crews class "D" and below. The tourney is a double-elimination event.

The Coop Hoop 3-on-3 basketball tourney will begin Friday, June 11, at 5 p.m., resuming Saturday at 8 a.m. and concluding when all but one team has been eliminated.

All games will be played to 167 points, with one and two point baskets scored.

Registration will be $30 per team for those 17 and under and $60 for teams 18 and above.

The winning men's team will receive $250 to be divided among the players, while the runners up get $100. The deadline for entering is Wednesday, June 9.

Saturday, June 12, will dawn with the annual Chase the Chicken 5K run/walk through the streets of Prescott. This race will begin at 8 a.m. There is a $12 entry fee for those pre-registering and a $15 cost for signing up the day of the race.

At 9 o'clock, the younger runners will hit the streets for the Chicken Chaser kids run. Entry fee for this event is $5.

The Something Eggstra Tennis tourney will be held on the park courts Thursday through Saturday. Entry fee for single players will be $15, while doubles teams will pay $25.

The Cock of the Walk weightlifting contest will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The athletic action concludes Saturday evening at 6 with the Pee Wee Rodeo, sponsored by the FFA Alumni. The rodeo will be held at the fairgrounds.

These athletic endeavors aren't the only events on tap. The festival kicks off Friday at 5 p.m. with the annual Rotary Chicken-in-the-Rough dinner at the pavilion.

Saturday begins early, at 6:30 a.m., with the annual Kiwanis Omelet Breakfast, also at the pavilion.

And, there will be plenty other food and drink concessions scattered around the park for patrons to visit throughout the day.

Additionally, the Chicken Market, filled with arts and crafts booths, along with novelty and commercial booths, will be available for all to visit.

Following dinner Friday night, the annual variety show will take center stage on the festival stage from 6:30-9:30. Those planning to attend the variety show are urged to bring their own lawn chairs.

At 7 p.m., the winner of the chicken or egg recipe contest will be announced. Those planning to enter a recipe and dish in this contest should contact Candace Carrier at the extension service center at 887-2818.

There will be plenty of events to keep younger visitors busy while mom and dad tour the park.

Contests and games for children will be held all day Saturday at the chickie's pen. These include coloring contests, face painting, necklace stringing, chicken-pick-up-in-a-pond and finding an egg in a haystack.

For older children (of all ages), the egg toss will be held on stage at 10:15 a.m.

Following the egg toss, the Chicken Tricks magic show will hit the spotlight with a family- oriented performance.

The stage will be the scene of the hula-hoop contest at 11:30 a.m., giving those daring enough to try the opportunity to strut their stuff.

At noon, the hula hooping will be replaced by cackling and crowing as contestants vie for bragging rights with their vocal skills.

The Little Mister Rooster and Little Miss Hen beauty pageants will be held at 2 p.m., following the second magic show.

So, with time running out, anyone planning to enter any of these events should be getting everything ready. For more information about the festival, or to enter a contest, call Mary Godwin, executive director of the Chamber, at 887-2101.