Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Eating hot dogs can mean $25

The 25th Annual Gurdon Fall Festival will be held during the last Saturday of October, all day on Oct. 29.

This years event will include a hot dog eating contest just after noon, where an adult winner will get $25 and get all of the hot dogs he or she can eat in seven minutes.

Amy Whitworth, of Gurdon City Hall, is in charge of the "stuff-your-face" event, with hot dogs being furnished by Rehkopfs Hometown Market. The market will also furnish buns.

Other sponsors include: Sonic Drive-In, which will provide the trophies, plus Dougs Grocery and Plylers Hardware will furnish cash.

Come hungry

Whitworth said, "The event will be held at 12:15 p.m. in front of the bandstand (by Austins Variety Store on Main Street). We will have three categories."

All three categories will have a winner that receives $25 and a trophy.

The categories and rules are: kids, (ages 7-12)  eat as many as they can in three minutes; big kids (ages 13-17),  eat as many as they can in five minutes; and adults (18 and older)  eat as many as they can in seven minutes.

Whitworth said entering the Double Dog Dare Hot Dog Eating Contest will be free. Those interested may call: 353-2341 to enter, or sign up the day of the festival before 10:30 a.m.

"We hope this catches on so we can do it every year," Whitworth said.

Billy Wells, chairman of the organizational committee, said Thursday, "We hope this festival will get bigger and better. Tambra Childres, over at City Hall, and some of them from the community are adding things that should catch on."

Wells said he has already rented 72 booths, but will not cut it off at 100. He said he would like to have his booth rentals lined out by Friday, Oct. 21, but will continue to rent, as long as space is available, right up to and including the day of the event.

"If you rent ahead, it means you can usually get a better spot," he said.

Anyone wanting to rent a booth, come to his flower shop in Kuhns Hardware on Main Street. Booth rental for 2005 will be $20.

Wells can be reached by telephone at: (870) 353-4335.

The annual car show will be under the direction of Kenneth Anderson. The profits will go to charity. Childres said Anderson is planning to donate to the Marc Crawley cancer relief fund.

Terry LeMay, mayor of Whelen Springs and gospel musician, will organize the center stage music during the daytime. Anyone interested in performing, call him at: (870) 353-2632.

Parade plans

Wells said Joe Ann Shaver, who may be reached at: (870) 353-4640, is in charge of parade entries.

Wells said Dave Jones, of the Hoo Hoo, will be the 2005 Parade Marshall. Jones is the Snark of the Universe.

According to Wells, parade entries should line up at 9 a.m. on the day of the festival, in front of Bell High School, for the normal parade route down Fifth Street to Main Street, hang a left, go to Sonic and hang a right, then to Crayton, for another left past the Methodist Church and finally a left to go by Thomersons Drug Store on First Street, to re-cross Main Street and head for the post office.

"Last year we had 122 parade entries, including about 10 floats. Be sure and watch for our Queen, Princess, Junior Miss, Little Miss and Tiny Miss winners from this years Festival Pageant," he said.

"We recommend everyone planning to be in the parade, or to watch it at 10 a.m., go to the Senior Adult Center first, as the Rotary will start serving pancakes at 7 a.m. for $4 a plate," Wells said. "You can keep eating all day, as we will have funnel cakes, pineapple cream, country cobbler and more. Just check our venders."

Committee members

Childres said this years Forest Festival is sponsored by the Community Development and Entertainment (CD&E) club, with the following committee members: Billy Wells, chairman, Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin, Jenny Williams, Steven Pennington, Tambra Childres and Jeanie White.

Childres said the following list of sponsors and activities shaping up.

Street dances, sponsored by the CD&E Club and Paul Williams Construction will start at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The first street dance will be "Oldies and Country," and last from 7-9 p.m., with a "Hip, Hop street dance for the younger kids from 9:30-11:30 p.m.

Childres said DJ music will be played for both.

There will be a pie baking contest, with the Clark County Extension Homemakers Club members tentatively in charge.

Chili Cook-off

Childres said the Chili Cook-off is a go. Ray Smith, of the Clark County Cattlemen Association, is the sponsor of the Clark County Cattlemens Association First Annual Chili Cook-off for the Gurdon Forest Festival.

It will be located in downtown Gurdon, under the drive-through at US Bank. Set up is at 7 a.m. and there is a $20 entry fee. Chili must be cooked on site.

For a complete copy of the rules, call Smith at: (870) 246-9249. There will be a $300 first prize, $200 for second place; and $100 as a Peoples Choice prize.

Taster kits will be sold for $5, which entitles you to taste all of the chili entries and vote for your favorite.

Mail entry forms and fees to: Ray Smith, 2641 Bateman Road, Okolona, Ark. 71962.

Kids Free Zone

Childres said the committee plans to host a Kids Free Zone, sponsored by volunteers and consisting of activities that are free to do for children attending the festival. It will be by the Presbyterian Church, with electricity for activities provided by Hornes Funeral Home.

"The idea is to lessen the burden on parents who want their children to go to our festival and have fun, but money is an issue," Childres said. "First Assembly of God, with Brother Jim Farris, has already agreed to help. Brother Jim will also be the auctioneer this year for the CD&E annual action.

"We will also have our usual Halloween costume contest, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce," Childres said. "This year it will be before the CD&E auction, on the main stage in front of Austin Capps place."

Adult costume contest

She said an adult costume division is planned as a new thing for this year, and also a canine costume contest for the first time as well.

Something else new is the horseshoe tournament, sponsored by the Beirne Fire Department.

There will be two pits for double elimination, and a $20 per team entry. There will be a guaranteed $100 first place. Sign up is at 10 a.m. on the day of the festival. The event starts at 3 p.m. For more information on it, call Dennis Frisby at: 353-2563.

The horseshoe activities will be beside Quick Tax and the alley between First State Bank and Quick Tax.

The Forest Festival will bring back a sawdust pile for eight-year-olds and under, by Kuhns Hardware. A valuable prize will be in the pile, sponsored by First State Bank and the U.S. Bank.

There will be a logging show.

As always, Childres said the traditional Eric Griffin Memorial Run will be held at the high school track.

But new in sporting events will be the Softball Home Run Derby, to be held at the Cabe Baseball Park on the Babe Ruth field.

"The field will be measured to official size," Childres said. "There will be a division open for men and one for women, with a $20 entry fee. Everyone gets a free t-shirt for entering."

She said the winners in each home run division will get a $150 cash prize and a trophy. Childres said the plans are to make the home run contest an annual event.