BRYANT — Fun for the whole family will once again be the focus of Bryant Fall Fest presented by Everett Buick GMC.
The Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the 29th annual event Sept. 24 at Bishop Park. General admission and parking are free, but some of activities require paid admission.
“We look forward to bringing this event to the community once again,” said Todd Rhoden, Chamber executive director.
Cheryl Smith, director of operations at the Chamber, said something new is being added this year even before the festival begins on Sept. 24.
“The city of Bryant and the Hornet Touchdown Club will present Post Game in the Park from 9-11 p.m. Sept. 23 at Bishop Park,” she said. “The Zac Dunlap Band will perform this outdoor concert.”
Smith said patrons would notice something else new when they arrive at Bishop Park for the day’s activities.
“The festival has a new layout this year,” she said. “All of the booths will be in front of The Center [The Center at Bishop Park, which is a multipurpose community center],” Smith said, adding that should allow more room for parking. She said a free shuttle would also be available to take festival goers from Bryant High School to Bishop Park.
Smith said this year’s event would offer bingo for the first time. First Security Bank sponsors this activity, which will be at the Senior Adult Center at Bishop Park.
Smith said other activities would include areas for human foosball and bubble ball, sponsored by the city of Bryant, and laser tag, which are all additional ticketed events.
“Tickets are $5 each or three for $10,” Rhoden said, adding that tickets to Kidsland, sponsored by Baptist Health Urgent Care and Indian Springs Baptist Church, are $5.
Smith said the chamber is also working on a Health Zone that will be sponsored by Saline Memorial Hospital.
The sixth annual Ken Palmquist Memorial Duct Tape Boat Race, sponsored by Big Red Stores, will begin at 11 a.m. It will feature three divisions – adult, youth division 1 for 12- to 16-year-olds and youth division 2 for 8- to 11-year-olds. The entry fee is $10 per boat.
The day will begin with a pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. sponsored by the Senior Adult Center at Bishop Park. Tickets are $5 each for the all-you-can-eat breakfast.
Also at 7 will be the annual kids fishing derby, sponsored this year by Geyer Springs First Baptist Church.
The parade, sponsored by Baxley Penfield Moudy Realtors, will begin at 9 a.m., with the line-up set to begin at 8:15 a.m.
“Life on the Farm” is this year’s parade theme. Judging will be based on overall appearance, creativity, participation and crowd appeal. Awards range from $25 to $100.
When the parade enters the park, stage activities begin and will include a variety of talent acts throughout the day; Middleton Heat & Air sponsors the local talent lineup. First Electric Cooperative will sponsor the baby crawl and hula-hoop contest, “which are always favorites,” Smith said.
Booth exhibit space is available to Chamber members as well as for “future Chamber members, as I call them,” Roden said. The fee for Chamber members is $75 and for nonmembers it is $100.
Carnival food will be available as well as concession-type food provided by nonprofit organizations including Friendship Community Care, Habitat for Humanity of Saline County, Healing Waters Outreach, New Nations Church and the Rotary Club of Bryant.
“Fall Fest is pretty much the same pattern from year-to-year,” said Todd Sellers, principal at Bryant Middle School and chairman of this year’s event. “We are able to pull it off every year because of the community’s involvement, … because of our great sponsors, … because of our wonderful volunteers that step up every year.
“For me, as a daddy of a fourth-grader, I love the Kidsland,” Sellers said. “It’s a good safe place for the kids.
“Also as a school administrator, I am always impressed by the Bryant High School ROTC [members who] handle the parking all day long, and the parade that draws out our kids, from cheerleaders and band members to organizations that enter a float,” he said. “The parade is always a crowd-pleaser.
“One of my favorite things is that I get to emcee at the end of the parade. I love seeing the cheer and dance teams perform. I feel like the proud daddy of all of them. If I haven’t had them in school yet, I probably will.”
Sellers said Bryant’s Buzzin’ BBQ Bash will return for a second year.
“We’re hoping it will be larger this year,” he said. “I know we will have a lot of professional teams enter, since it is a Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned event, but we’re hoping more local teams enter as well.
“Last year, the police and fire department were in fierce competition,” Sellers said, laughing. “The welding department at Bryant High School built a huge Hornet trophy for the local contest, and the fire department won it.”
Jeremiah Oltmans, chairman of the BBQ Bash, said this second annual event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and is part of the 2016 Arkansas Diamond Cup. Sponsors include Buffalo Wild Wings, B&K Electrical Contractors, Brooke Andrews State Farm, Cavender’s, Crist Engineering Inc., Garver Engineering and Terracon.
There will be two competitions — the KCBS-sanctioned event and a Backyard BBQ competition. Cash prizes totaling $7,550 will be available.
“Last year we had mainly Kansas City competitive teams enter,” Oltmans said, noting a total of 17 teams entered last year. “We are hoping for more local, backyard teams to enter this year. We are hoping for 25 professional teams and 10 backyard barbecue teams this year. We want the locals to get their barbecue grills out and participate.
“I think this is something we can grow in the years to come,” he said.
The backyard barbecue competition will be open to the public for sampling.
“For $5, people can come in and sample the barbecue,” Oltmans said. “They will be able to vote for their favorite and a People’s Choice will be named.”
The entry fee is $200 per team for those participating in the KCBS-sanctioned event and $50 for the backyard-barbecue teams. Contestants must cook chicken, ribs, pork and brisket.
Oltmans said there would also be a beer garden set up in this area.
Part of the proceeds raised from the BBQ Bash will be donated to the Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce and part of it will be donated by the David Oltmans Foundation to Saline Memorial Hospital.
“My dad, David Oltmans, died eight years ago of leukemia,” he said. “We set up a foundation in his name and over the years, we have raised $40,000 that we have donated to worthy organizations. I am proud we are able to give part of the proceeds to our local hospital this year.”
For more information or entry forms to the various competitions, visit the Chamber’s website at www.bryantchamber.com, or call (501) 847-4702.