By Hannah Caver, For The Tribune
PINSON — Pinson’s 16th Annual Alabama Butterbean Festival is back in town with free admission and parking. The opening ceremony will kick off on Friday, October 1 at 6 p.m. and continues through Saturday, October 2.
ABBF will be held in downtown Pinson on Main Street, where various vendors will be showcasing different food, crafts, arts, and more. The vendors will begin setting up tents for festival-goers at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 1, but will not officially open until 6 p.m.
“The main thing that we’ve always tried to do is, make sure we have free admission, free parking, and free entertainment,” executive director of the Clay Pinson Chamber of Commerce, Ronnie Dixon, said. “We don’t want this to be something that people feel like they have to pay to get into. They can literally come and park and walk in and sit under a tent at the stage for 14 hours if they wanted to.”
According to the Alabama State Tourism Board, ABBF is the 2nd largest festival in Alabama. The Clay-Pinson Chamber of Commerce organizes ABBF, and they try to think of new and exciting attractions to bring to Pinson.
“The sanitary carpet and rug pet parade is at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and that’s for all pets, not just dogs; we had a pig win a couple of years ago,” Dixon said. “The Recycle USA 5k run is at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, and Mills Pharmacy’s Firework Spectacular is at 9:15 p.m. on Friday night. We have a full night on Friday from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. and then on Saturday from 8 a.m until 4 p.m. with the race starting at 7 a.m.”
This year, ABBF is thrilled to announce that the 2019 winner of NBC’s The Voice, Jake Hoot, will be the headlining performance at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 2. Dixon explained ABBF has several performers lined up, ranging from bands to clog dancing to martial arts demonstrations. There’s something fun for everyone.
ABBF will also have C & M Entertainment Carnival opening on Wednesday, September 30, through Saturday, October 2. Each day the carnival will be open at 6 p.m. Armbands are $20 each, and tickets are $1 each or 12 for $10.
ABBF is held in support of Pinson Valley High School, Boy and Girls Club of America, and many more local programs.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see the 11,000 Gallon Guinness World Record-holding Pot that was crafted to cook 1,010 gallons of butterbeans and its handcrafted aluminum spoon resembling a boat oar. The butterbean pot will be on display starting Tuesday, September 28, and will stay out on display throughout the festival.
For more information about the Alabama Butterbean Festival, visit www.alabamabutterbeanfestival.com or visit their Facebook page.
If you want to be a vendor for next year’s Alabama Butterbean Festival, you can register at www.alabamabutterbeanfestival.com. To Register as a performer, contact Joe Posey at TMI productions at www.tmiproductions.net. Registration begins on April 1, 2022.