Posted by Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle
, June 12, 2009 11:20
First held in 1938, the Johnson County Peach Festival in Clarksville is today the oldest outdoor festival in Arkansas. The 2009 edition of the festival begins Tuesday, June 16th and continues through Sunday the 21st. Some of the food-related events: there’s a banana split contest at 4 pm Thursday the 18th in the Presbyterian church basement. Is the contest about eating banana splits? Building them? Or perhaps it has nothing to do with ice cream at all! We don’t know; you’ll have to attend to find out. There will also be craft booths and concession stands at the court square from Thursday through Saturday. Friday the 19th at 1 pm you can witness the Peach Eating Contest at the court square; if you’re 12 or under you can even participate! The court square is also the location for Friday’s peach cobbler and jam/jelly contests. They take place at 2 pm after the eating contest. And then at 3 pm the cobblers will be available to eat. Saturday at 1130 am you can show off your peach pit spitting prowess in the contest at the court square.
Other activities? Live barbershop and gospel music, a street dance, a greased pig chase, the 22nd Annual Great Celebrated Johnson County Frog Jump on Friday the 19th at 9 am (this we wouldn’t want to miss!), a terrapin derby, and pageants to select Princess Elberta, Queen Elberta, and Miss Arkansas Valley. Also on tap is a four mile run, a diaper derby, the parade at 10 am Saturday the 20th, a fiddling contest (we can’t resist fiddling contests), and a bicycle obstacle course, water balloon toss, and egg toss. The festival concludes on Sunday with the annual bass tournament and horseshoe tournament. For more info see the festival website.
