Where have all the nuts gone? Long time passing

Published 8:00 pm Friday, October 21, 2022

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

On a bright, Alabama fall day in 1992, a group of Brundidge townsfolk pulled off a coup – a Peanut Butter Festival that is still going strong 30 years down the road. The festival honored the town’s proud heritage in the Peanut Butter Industry.

The town’s first harvest and heritage celebration featured s display of farm antiques that Oscar Kyle McDowell and William Smith set up in City Hall. Farmers and townspeople added items of historical interest.

The sponsoring Brundidge Historical Society requested the closing of Main Street for the Nutter Butter Parade. The city honored the request …but only after the town’s two banks closed at noon.

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

The festival featured old-time demonstrations. Lee Gene Allen demonstrated his cane mill, Preston Lott ran the  “johnny popper” that operated the Louis-Ann Peanut Butter Mill. Robert Hughes gave away a trailer-load of raw peanuts. Flo Stinson boiled peanuts, Loreen Hughes ground peanuts into butter in a sausage mill and Hattie Flowers made fried apple tarts.

Hannah Hixon and Bill Laney were the Festival’s first Peanut Butter Kids: Jamie Neely was Miss Peanut Butter Festival and  Shirley and Evelyn Tew were Peanut Butter and Jelly

There was a greasy pig contest, a goat dressing contest – the goats ran away — and a moonshine sipping booth, IDs required.

On parade, were Miss Josie Moonshine and outhouse of gospel singing hillbillies.

Who can forget when Cathy Grant shocked the world as Lady Godiva riding on Larry Godwin’s mammoth iron stallion. She came back another year to “Bear it All” on Godwin’s two-story iron bear sculpture.

Who can forget when people dressed in “overhalls,” nightgowns, and as hillbillies, clowns, cows, gourd heads and as Miss Turnip Greens and Miss IdaHo and others rode on mules, shooed chickens, called hogs and kissed pigs.

The festival featured non-stop old-time music and folks came early and stayed and frolicked until dark sent them home.

All that leaves to wonder, just what happened to the “nuts” that gathered in clusters to bring laughter and joy to the world. And, that’s what the world needs now – a little laughter – more nuts. So, if you feel like a nut, the Nutter Butter Parade will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in downtown Brundidge. You don’t have to call. Just wiggle in line and bring a little laughter to the world.