Two-day Cotton Pickin’ Festival to deliver fun for all ages in Caldwell

A Caldwell tradition is set to
return this weekend as the 22nd
Annual Cotton Pickin’ Festival
gets underway Friday, Sept. 26.
The two-day celebration will
feature music, games, food,
contests and plenty of family fun
for the community.
According to Caldwell Mayor
Gary Hughes, the festival
officially begins Friday evening
inside the Caldwell Community
Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m.,
with bingo, while outside, live
music from local entertainers
sets the stage for the busy of
activities.
At 6:30 p.m., Forrest City
native Eli Adams and the Eli
Adams Band will perform.
Saturday’s schedule starts at 8
a.m., with a pancake breakfast
hosted by the Christian
Motorcyclists Association. This
will be held in the community
center until 10 a.m.
According to Hughes, all
children’s events will be free of
charge, adding that many
different games and activities are
planned for Saturday afternoon.
“We have a lot of events
planned, especially for Saturday
with events starting at 1 p.m,”
said Hughes. “We will have
games and activities for kids
such as pony rides, train rides
and a bouncy house.”
In addition to the kids
activities, the annual Cotton
Pickin’ Contest will kick off at 1
p.m., on Saturday, where
contestants can show off their
skills in a nod to the region’s
agricultural roots.
Immediately following the
contest, the annual Cotton
Pickin’ Queen Beauty Pageant
will take the spotlight.
The pageant is open to girls
ages 3 to 12. The pageant
features two divisions, ages three
to six and seven to 12. Unlike
traditional pageants, contestants
are asked to wear outfits made of
80 to 100% cotton, with no
formal pageant dress required.
The entry fee is $5 and the
deadline to register is Thursday,
Sept. 25. A rehearsal for
contestants will also take place
Thursday evening at 6 p.m., at
Caldwell City Hall. Parents
interested in entering their child
may call 870-633-1513 or stop by
Caldwell City Hall to complete
the entry form. The festival will continue into
the evening on Saturday with a 4
p.m., performance by the
ConnectPoint Praise Team. Later,
from 6 to 8 p.m., the Live Wire
Band will close out the
weekend’s festivities.
The event will also feature
food, door prizes, a gun raffle
and several local vendors. Those
interested in setting up a booth
at the event may call 870-494
5132. The fee for booth space
this year is $25.
According to Hughes there is
no deadline for vendors wanting
to set up a booth.
“Those wanting to set up a
booth can just come out during
setup, pay their fee at
registration. We will find them a
space.”
Hughes said he encourages
everyone in the community to
come out and support the event.
“This is a family-oriented
event and it will be a good time
to spend with family and
friends,” said Hughes. “From live
music, contests and games, we
will have something for kids and
adults to enjoy.”