Main Street El Dorado is hoping for clear skies for the final 2018 installment of Showdown at Sunset/Summer Concert Series, which will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in downtown El Dorado.
With a theme of “Spend the Day in El Dorado” the event will be filled with activities, including contests with cash awards and the second annual Back to School Bash.
The events are free and open to the public.
Main Street is sticking with a theme that has proven successful this summer by extending the day for the long-running Showdown and the SCS events, which customarily begin in the evening on the fourth Saturday in June, July and August.
Board members have been exploring ways to bring more people downtown and to get them to stay longer during the day.
This year, the group incorporated Grill Wars and a Baggo Tournament, along with other family activities, into the Showdown/SCS formula.
Beth Brumley, executive director of Main Street, said there was a noticeable increase in foot traffic downtown during the first two installments of Showdown/SCS this year, and board members are looking for more of the same on Saturday.
Kicking off the day at 10 a.m. will be Grill Wars, a cook-off that has featured a different meat — steak in June and chicken in July — each month.
For the summer finale, contestants will participate in the Rosson Phillips Group Burger Battle.
There is a $50 entry fee per team.
There is also a Cooker’s Choice contest, which comes with a $15 entry fee.
As part of the Back to School Bash, Brumley said there will also be a kids’ division, in which young chefs will prepare a pork chop.
The cost is $10 to enter a child into the contest.
Cash prizes will be awarded to first-, second- and third-plaace winners in each division, along with a payout for Team Spirit.
Cash payouts are:
• Burger Battle — $750, first place; $300, second place; and $150 for third place.
• Cooker’s Choice — $150, first; $75, second; and $50, third.
• Team Spirit — $100, first; $50 second; and $25, third.
• Kid’s Pork Chop — $150, first; $75, second; and $50, third.
Teams are encouraged to register early. Late registration set for 9 until 10 a.m. Saturday.
Awards will be announced at 5 p.m.
Introduced this year, the Baggo Tournament has quickly become one of the more popular activities during the summer events, so much so, that Brumley said Baggo will be included in upcoming events, including Airstream on Main Street, Sept. 20 - 23, and MusicFest, Oct. 18 - 20.
For Showdown/SCS, teams may pre-register or register at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The tournament will begin at 11 a.m. in the area of Jefferson and Elm.
The cost to enter the tournament is $20 per team.
Prizes for first place include $100 cash, pit passes for the Summer Concert Series and two MusicFest tickets for the Thursday (Oct. 18) night performances, which include George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Morris Day and the Time and Sheila E.
Second-place winners will receive $40 cash and SCS pit passes, and $20 cast and SCS pit passes will got to the team that finishes third.
Brumley said a homemade ice cream contest that was postponed in July because of a sudden downpour will return on Saturday.
“It rained during the ice-cream serving last time. There was a flood, and then it stopped,” she said with laugh.
The contest will begin at 3 p.m. with setup, with ice cream machines cranking up at 4:30 p.m. on Elm Street.
The entry fee is $25. Prizes are $125 for first place, $75 for second and $25 for third.
Prizes will be awarded at 6 p.m., the start time for Showdown on the east (Jefferson Avenue) side of the of the Union County Courthouse.
Ice cream will be served to the audience during Showdown.
Throughout the day, there will be family-friendly games and festival vendors. Horse and carriage rides will be offered from 3 until 7 p.m.
Immediately following Showdown will be a concert featuring country music singer-songwriter William Micheal Morgan in the Murphy Arts District Amphitheater.
The Vicksburg, Mississippi, native released his debut single, “I Met a Girl,” in 2015, and the track peaked at number two on the U.S. Country Airplay chart and number eight on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart.
Morgan’s debut album, “Vinyl”, dropped in 2016 and reached number 5 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart.
For more information or to enter any contests, call the Main Street office at 870-862-4747 or visit the Main Street Facebook page.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].