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For 27 years, the city of Brundidge has celebrated the harvest season each October by paying tribute to its proud heritage in the peanut butter industry and to the agricultural community.

On Saturday, the Brundidge Historical Society welcomed a “slew” of folks to town for the annual Peanut Butter Festival on the grounds of the historic Bass House and “a good time was had by all,” said Lawrence Bowden, BHS president.

“From a personal standpoint, it was a great event,” Bowden said. “We had a large crowd throughout the day and everybody seemed to be having a good time. When we started the Peanut Butter Festival in 1992, the idea was to put together a festival where ‘good times and old times meet.’ And I’d like to think that we have been successful in doing that.”

Bowden said the day got to a fast start with a 5K Peanut Butter Run and concluded with a foot tapping, hand-clapping good time with SheBANG!

“The entertainment throughout the day was outstanding,” Bowden said. “I don’t think you’ll go anywhere and find better traditional music – SheBANG! the Benton Brothers, from right here in Pike County, the Shiloh Mountain Boys from Prattville and Chipola Shanachie from Blountstown, Florida.
“We had a large number of artists and crafters and their work was all high quality. We had some familiar faces and a lot of new vendors and they seemed pleased. We hope to have them all back next year when we celebrated Alabama’s Bicentennial.”

Bowden said nobody went home from the Peanut Butter Festival hungry.

“We had vendors from several different areas and a lot of local churches and organization participated. We appreciate their support of the festival,” he said.

The hallmarks of the harvest and heritage celebration are Joe Todd’s working cane mill and Charles Walker’s corn grinding “machine.”

“Joe and Charles have been with us for years and everybody stops to watch them at work,” he said.

Bowden said it truly takes a village to pull off a Peanut Butter Festival

“I can’t name names; there are just too many of them,” he said. “Of course, the members of the BHS work long and hard planning and carrying out the festival. Then, there the volunteers who jump in to help and the City of Brundidge employees do so much in getting everything ready and then getting things back in order.”

Bowden said those who come to parade and those who attend the festival share in the success of the annual harvest and heritage celebration.

“We will begin tomorrow making plans for what we hope will be the biggest Peanut Butter Festival of them all in 2019 when we celebrate Alabama200,” he said. “So, we invite everyone to plan now to be an active participant in the Bicentennial Peanut Butter Festival event.”

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