Features Editor

Brundidge artist Larry Godwin has gained national acclaim as a premier metal sculptor.

His sculptures can be found at tourist haunts including, Chicago’s Hard Rock Café and Orlando’s Disney World.

He has received wide recognition for his life-size models of the Wright Brothers flyers. He has three flyers on display – in Alabama, Florida and Ohio – and has requests for other Wright flyer sculptures from cities that have a history in flight.

Godwin’s bronze sculptures of the world’s largest peanut and the "Father of the Peanut," George Washington Carver, are symbols of Dothan’s National Peanut Festival and Montgomery’s "Wall of Fame" features the outstanding work of the Brundidge artist.

He just completed refurbishing a bronze panel of famed University of Alabama football coach Wallace Wade who coached three undefeated teams and took three teams to the Rose Bowl between the years 1923 and 1930. The panel hangs in the

university’s Paul "Bear" Bryant Museum.

Locally, Godwin’s work can be seen at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama and at his studio on Highway 231 south of Brundidge and at his metal fab shop in downtown Brundidge.

Usually, his metal sculpture takes precedence over other things, but Godwin has agreed to participate in this year’s Peanut Butter Festival as a caricature artist on Saturday at the request of the Brundidge Historical Society.

He laughingly said he got his arm twisted and was promised a year’s supply of peanut butter. But, actually, it was something he really wanted to do.

"I was asked to do caricatures and that’s not what I do best," Godwin said. "Sometimes I hit. Sometimes I come close and sometimes I miss. But, I thought it would be fun to take part in the Peanut Butter Festival. It brings a lot of people to town and the town gets a lot of positive publicity from it. So, I said, ‘yes,’ and I’m looking forward to doing something that is a little out of character for me."

Godwin will set up shop on the Festival grounds from about 9 until noon and those who would like to have a little fun poked at them with pen and pencil are invited to stop by and let him put your character on paper.

Godwin will do either quick gestures, which are line drawings similar to the one he doodled for Jaine Treadwell, features editor of The Messenger, or sustained gestures which take a little longer and are more detailed.

The Peanut Butter Festival will feature the talent of other artists and craftsmen as well as non-stop entertainment, the Peanut Butter Recipe Contest, the Peanut Butter Kids Contest, the Li’l Goober Contest, the Peanut Butter Queen Contest, games, demonstrations, contests and exhibits and more good food "than you can shake a kitchen spoon at."

The Festival will get underway when the rooster crows with

Breakfast and Biscuits under the tent on the festival grounds at the Bass House in downtown Brundidge.

At 8 a.m., the ringing of the cowbell will get runners off to a fast start in the 5K Peanut Butter Run at Green’s Antiques on South Main Street.

At 1 p.m the Nutter Butter Parade will begin its march down Main Street with some of the biggest nuts in town strutting their stuff.

There have been a few changes in the line of entertainment.

At 10:10 a.m., the Li’l Goobers will take the stage and one will be chosen to help spread the good news about peanut butter.

The Studio of Troy will perform at 11:30 a.m., the Glory Singers at 4 p.m. and the Boot Scootin’ Seniors from the Colley Senior Complex will follow them.

The Peanut Butter Festival is free, so come to Brundidge Saturday and "come back to the way it used to be."