Bay, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Fall fun will soon be taking over Main Street in Bay, as organizers prepare for the 50th annual Bay Harvest Festival.
This year’s festival will feature vendor booths, food trucks, live music, a Twinkie eating contest, games and more, as well as several festivities beforehand. These include a parade, beauty pageant, and community breakfasts and barbeques.
“Fifty years of anything is a big deal,” said Bay Harvest Festival co-chairwoman Tami Hamilton Williams. “They started it in 1976 and had low crowds … but every year it would build and build. Our community looks forward to this every year. Everybody gets together, takes the time to fellowship with each other.”
The festival itself is scheduled for Oct. 3 along Main Street in Bay. Beginning that day’s festivities is the annual Harvest Festival parade, which will feature floats from local groups, cars, and more. That begins at 10 a.m. and will head down Main Street, before briefly turning on Lunsford Avenue, heading down Brown Street, and then concluding down Rosemary Street.
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The festival will not start until the parade concludes. In addition to the numerous activities, festival organizers will be running a concession stand that will sell burgers, hot dogs, and nachos, while the city’s senior citizens will be selling beans, cornbread, cakes and pies. The city’s fire department will also be barbequing bologna sandwiches.
Twenty-nine vendor booths are already confirmed. Those interested in being a vendor can reach out to Williams through Sept. 30 at 870-273-3158 for a spot.
Live music is also scheduled throughout the day, with the musical artists listed below:
- Gospel acts from First Baptist Church’s praise team
- Regeneration
- Rowdy Fortson
- Griff the Drifter
- B.K. Hampton
- Keith Posgrove
- Joe Gordon
Williams added that festival organizers had secured a “big country name” to perform at 5 p.m. that day. She said this artist’s name would be revealed at the festival.
That same day, the Bay First Baptist Church youth group will be hosting a pancake breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. at Bay First Baptist Church’s Family Life Center, located at 200 Central Ave.
The day before the festival, Williams said several high school reunions would be taking place in the Bay High School cafeteria. During that time, the Bay Fire Department will be selling barbeque plates for $10 a plate, and a silent auction is scheduled, all before the school kicks off its basketball season with the Purple and Gold game.
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This coming Saturday is the Bay Harvest Festival Pageant. The pageant is scheduled for Sept. 19 beginning at 2 p.m. at the Bay High School cafeteria. All contestants are asked to arrive at 1:30 p.m.
Registration is still open and will close Thursday. Those interested in participating can contact Williams.
Williams, along with her co-chairwoman Vickie Davis, organize several community events along with the festival. Money raised in these events goes to fund the Bay Harvest Festival, although Williams said donations are still needed.
Those interested in donating can give via Cash App at $BayCommunityEvents, or by mailing a check to 401 County Road 480, Jonesboro, AR 72404. Make checks payable to Bay Community Events.
Volunteer positions are also available for the festival, which include working the concession stand, checking on vendor booths, and more. Those interested can message the Bay Community Events Facebook page, which can be found here.
Bay is just shy of 1,900 residents, according to figures from the city. Williams said the festival draws around 1,000 people to the city each year.
“Bay is small, but it’s a friendly town with great people, and it’s a tight-knit community. We welcome anybody that wants to come,” Williams said. “We’re thrilled to have them.”
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