Anderson's annual Berries, Bluegrass and BBQ Festival is set to take place this weekend.
Festivities kick-off this Friday evening with the Berry Glow Night Run 5k. Participants are encouraged to accessorize with glowing items of their choosing. Registration begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall and the race starts at approximately 8:20 p.m., or when the darkness allows.
Saturday's festivities begin with a high-energy donut-eating contest in Town Hole at 9:30 a.m. Participants can register the day of the contest. There are three age-groups competing. Contestants 6-years-old and younger will be tasked with eating one donut the fastest. Contestants 7-years old to 12-years-old will be tasked with eating three donuts the fastest. And contestants 13-years-old and older will be tasked with eating six donuts the fastest.
The Little Miss Strawberry Pageant will grace the stage at 10:30 a.m. with precious little misses of all ages, from newborns to 13-year-olds.
A variety of vendors will be set up in the Town Hole parking area offering a wide-selection of wares, including mouth-watering BBQ from local food trucks and eateries, woodworked home decor, aromatic wax melts, homemade ice cream sandwiches and of course fresh, local strawberries.
Bluegrass will take over the speakers beginning at noon, when Southern Tradition takes the stage. The six-piece ensemble from Tontitown, Ark., is a bluegrass gospel group committed to wholesome values.
No Apparent Reason will take the stage from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. The group hails from Carthage, Mo., and has been together, in some form, for over 35 years. The six-piece band's first love is music, followed by serious comedy and hilarious bluegrass.
At 2 p.m., The Finley River Boys will perform. The four-piece ensemble from Springfield, Mo., is a high-energy, acoustic band that performs a variety of bluegrass, country, folk and gospel tunes. Four-part harmonies and intricate instrumental breaks provide a captivating experience. The Finley River Boys were recently featured at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., during the park's Bluegrass & BBQ Festival.
Spillwater Drive will perform from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. The four-piece band delivers "hard-driving bluegrass music" from the Southwest Missouri/Northwest Arkansas area. Spillwater Drive was also featured at Silver Dollar City's recent bluegrass festival.
At 4 p.m., The Flyin' Buzzards will take the stage. The five-piece ensemble from Southwest Missouri plays a variety of music, including gospel, oldies rock and country with a bluegrass flare.
Greenland Station will entertain the audience from 5 p.m. until curtain call at 6 p.m. The six-piece band began as three high school friends from Greenland Public School, south of Fayetteville, Ark., who would play together as a hobby. One of the founding members retired due to illness but the group remains strong with two original founders and three additional musicians. Greenland Station puts a bluegrass twist on music from all genres. At their core they are a "bluegrass band that doesn't stick to the rules."
General News on 05/16/2019