MALVERN — The Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the first Crocktoberfest from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22 on the Hot Spring County Courthouse lawn.
“We hope to make it an annual event,” said Jennifer Eubanks, administrative assistant at the chamber. “We wanted to do something fun, … something that would evoke the nostalgia of Brickfest, which was started on the courthouse lawn. People have told us they miss that feeling.
“Communities all over Arkansas are having Octoberfest celebrations of one kind or another,” Eubanks said. “We wanted to offer something a little bit different. I came up with the idea for a crockpot cook-off, which is for teams only.”
Eubanks said teams may consist of three to six members, and they must prepare three dishes — an entree or main dish, a side dish and a dessert — each in a crockpot, or slow cooker. Setup will begin at 8:30 a.m. Teams must provide their own crockpots, utensils, ingredients and tent. Serving cups will be provided.
The entry fee is $75 per team. Entry forms are available at the chamber office, 213 W. Third St. in Malvern, or on Facebook: Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce. The deadline to enter is Oct. 17.
Tickets will be available for those who want to sample the dishes and vote on their favorite entry. The $10 ticket will allow one person to sample 12 of the entries. Serving will be from noon to 2 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 2:30. There will be a first-place winner in each category, plus a People’s Choice Award.
Eubanks said members of the Hot Spring County 4-H Club will provide games and activities suitable for the whole family.
“There may be games such as pumpkin bowling and others that reflect a fall theme,” she said. “There will be something for everyone — young and old alike.
“We hope the community will come out and support this event,” she said. “You never know if something new will work or not until you’ve tried it.”
For more information on Crocktoberfest, call the Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce at (501) 332-2721.