The 19th Annual Peanut Butter Festival will get off to a fast start at 8 a.m. today when a bunch of “runner” peanuts compete for the Peanut Trophy in the 5K Peanut Butter Run.

The run route winds through downtown Brundidge that is all decked out for the annual harvest and heritage celebration and past the historic Johnston Mill where the first commercially made peanut butter in the Southeast was ground in 1928.

The Peanut Butter Festival was selected as the celebration event for the Great Alabama Homecoming and the Year of the Small Town Downtown promotions by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.

A historic marker has been placed on the front lawn of the Bass House and will be unveiled during a short ceremony at 8:30 a.m. The marker highlights the town’s heritage and its proud history in the peanut butter industry.

The Peanut Butter Festival will be held on the grounds of the historic Bass House and features non-stop entertainment, arts and crafts, games, contests, demonstrations and exhibits.

The entertainment features gospel, country, bluegrass and a pop tune or two. Recently added to the lineup is the winner of the 2010 “Wiregrass Has Got Talent” Show, who sings Hank William Sr. music. He will perform around noon. Also added are The Sheppards.

The Peanut Butter Recipe Contest will be held at 9 a.m. at Brundidge Station. Samples of the entries will be available at the Peanut Butter Festival site following the judging.

The Brundidge Business Association will have a tent set up on the north side of Salem Baptist Church. Everyone who has ever worked in business and industry in Brundidge is encouraged to visit the tent and sign the register and then keep a sharp eye out to renew friendships of those who have “come home to Brundidge.”

At the business and industry tent, there will be drawings for prizes between the hours for 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. so everyone is encourage to register to be eligible to win the great prizes.

School buses will be at Salem Baptist Church to transport people to Pike County High School between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for a tour of the new facility, including the Finance Academy.

The Nutter Butter Parade will come marching down Main Street at 1 p.m. and will feature some of the “nuttiest” things around.

Following the parade, the entertainment will kickoff again on the Peanut Butter Festival stage and everyone is invited to sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful fall weather and the fellowship of friends and neighbors.