Photo courtesy of the Alabama Butterbean Festival
Attendees peruse offerings at booths during the 2017 Alabama Butterbean Festival, at which there were 152 vendors.
The Alabama Butterbean Festival is back for the 13th year. The state’s second largest festival will take place on Main Street in Pinson Oct. 5-6.
“It’s something fun for the community, and it draws people from all over,” said Ronnie Dixon, executive director of the Clay-Pinson Chamber of Commerce that puts on the event.
Originally started as a fundraiser to remodel Palmerdale Elementary School, the festival grew and has become bigger each year. Estimated attendance is between 35,000 to 40,000.
Around 1,000 pounds of butterbeans will be cooked and sold over the weekend. Split between the Pinson Valley High School band boosters, Solid Rock Church and Bradford Sanctuary of Praise, each group will serve the beans in their own unique way. The band boosters use their proceeds for the band program and the churches for their mission programs.
As the festival has continued to grow, they have had to find ways to accommodate visitors. “We still have plenty of room for extending the number of booth spaces for the festival, but we are more limited on parking,” Dixon said, adding that Bicentennial Park will be available for parking with shuttles to transport guests to the festival.
Last year, the festival featured 152 vendors and at least that many are expected to participate this year. The event includes live local music, carnival rides, food, fireworks and, of course, butterbeans.
The free festival also features the Guinness world record holding butterbean pot. The pot earned the record in 2010 for the largest pot of baked beans, at more than 1,010 gallons.
The festival is 6-10 p.m. Friday night and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There will be a 5K and 1-mile Fun Run beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday.
Find out more at alabamabutterbeanfestival.com.
