10th year a week early

By JAINE TREADWELL

Features Editor

Sept. 23, 2000 11 PM

The Peanut Butter Festival in Brundidge will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year but the celebration will be a week early.

Traditionally, the Festival is held on the last Saturday in October to allow time for the peanut harvest to be completed. However, this year, in support of Troy State University, the Peanut Butter Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Randy Ross, president of the Brundidge Chapter/TSU Alumni Association and Festival committee member, said the decision was made to change the date of the Festival this year because the Festival and TSU’s Homecoming fell on the same day.

"Brundidge is one of TSU’s biggest alumni chapters and Troy State is our university," Ross said. "We are small town and many of us are involved in both the Festival and the alumni association. We didn’t want to have to give up one for the other. And, we knew the people in our community felt the same way.

A lot of people are involved in both and want to do both."

Ross said Troy State’s Homecoming is dictated by its football schedule, so that’s "pretty much set in stone."

"But we, the organizers of the Peanut Butter Festival, can be flexible, so that’s what we decided to do. We hope that everyone in Pike and surrounding counties will join us for the Peanut Butter Festival in Brundidge on Oct. 21 and then go out and support our hometown university and the No. 1 team in Division 1-AA football the next Saturday."

The change in date will in no way affect the schedule of events for the Peanut Butter Festival.

"We’ll be a familiar face in a familiar place," Ross said. "The Festival will kick off with Grandma’s Smokehouse Breakfast at the Peanut Butter Barn and the 5K Peanut Butter Run and continue throughout the day with non-stop entertainment, games, contests, demonstrations, exhibits, crafts, great food, good fellowship and a ton of fun."

The Nutter Butter Parade will be held at 1 p.m. on Festival Day and a barn dance will provide one last opportunity for folks to kick up their heels before calling it a Peanut Butter Festival day.

"We invite all clubs, schools, churches or individuals who would like to have a booth of any kind or to participate in any way to contact us and register," Ross said. "The Peanut Butter Festival is not a money-making event. It’s a fun-raising event where friends and neighbors come together to celebrate the harvest and honor our farmers and our proud heritage in the peanut butter industry and in agriculture. So, we don’t charge admission; we just put it on and say, ‘Y’all Come!’"

Ross said this year has been a devastating one for farmers and the Festival is a good time to come out and show collective support for the producers of our food and fiber.

"We need to personally thank them for rolling the dice each year in order for our nation to enjoy highest quality food and fiber at the best prices on the planet," he said.

"We will honor every man and woman who has ever put a plow in the ground, so to speak. We would like for the town to be filled with the old-time farmers who faced many struggles in the field and with the farmers of today who are still beating the odds and hanging in there. And every person who is dependent on these people needs to be there to shake their hands."

For information about the Peanut Butter Festival and how you or your organization can be a part contact Ross at 566-1780 day or 735-3608 or call 566-9401, 735-3675 or 735-2544.