By Kaitlyn Rigdon
Staff Writer
The Smackover Oil Town Festival returned for its 47th year Friday and Saturday.
The festival, which was located in downtown Smackover, drew crowds of people to enjoy the food, contests and free concerts.
Attendees enjoyed horseshoe pitching, arm wrestling, turtle races, bingo, Bunco, rod wrenching, tug-of-war and many other activities.
Brad Lumpkin, with Aquatic Resource Education (ARE), had a mobile aquarium filled with fish from the lakes and rivers around central Arkansas for people to look at. The ARE travels to different events and schools with the aquarium for educational purposes. “I was in Hope yesterday at a school event,” Lumpkin said. “The people here are real nice and we are having great weather today.”
Rick Sieck of Flossie’s Famous Funnel Cakes, said this was the 32nd year they have had a booth at the Oil Town Festival. “We love it,” Sieck said. “We have become friends with all of the people down here.”
Sieck said they go to a lot of events in south Arkansas, including going to Music Fest for over 30 years.
The company is located out of Hot Springs and also sells their funnel cake mix in Bass Pro Shops and on the shopping network. Sieck said he looks forward to continuing coming to the Oil Town Festival for years to come.
Gary Cross, owner of Gary’s Concession, said he heard about the Oil Town Festival from Flossie’s Famous Funnel Cakes. “They asked us to come down here and do it with them and we said yes,” Cross said. “It was real short notice but we got down here and everybody seems to love our food.”
Gary’s Concession sells a variety of products, but are known for their loaded grilled potatoes. They also sell loaded nachos, philly steaks, burgers and much more.
Gary’s Concession has been in business for 12 years and they travel to Oklahoma, Nebraska and Louisiana.
“All of it is selling good, so we are really pleased,” Cross said.
Cross is in business with his best friend and his girlfriend. “We used to do about 40 to 50 shows a year, but now we cut it down to about 30 shows a year so it gives us time to stay home more,” he said.
Marvin Carrillo, Smackover resident and guest at the festival, said this was his second time attending the Oil Town Festival. After arriving to the event, he said the smell of the food is was what stood out to him the most.
Kaitlyn Rigdon can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].