With MusicFest just two weeks away, Main Street El Dorado has announced details for the 33rd annual event -- including how to sign up for various competitions.
MSE and the Murphy Arts District (MAD) are teaming up for MusicFest, which is set for Oct. 1 and 2.
MSE is presenting the "festival" portion on Oct. 2 with attractions, food, crafts and business vendors, live music featuring local and regional talent and other activities on the Union County Courthouse square.
Admission is free. Vendors and some activities are paid.
MAD has booked the MusicFest headliners, with country music star Frank Foster and special guest Pryor and Lee taking to the stage at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1 and legendary rapper/actor Ice Cube and rapper Warren G capping off the festival at 7 p.m. Oct. 2.
Both shows will be held in the First Financial Music Hall and the doors will open at 6 p.m.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the concerts, visit www.eldomad.com or call 870-444-3007.
Following a year's hiatus due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, organizers have promised that MusicFest XXXIII will offer something for everyone, including new activities and returning favorites.
Main Street El Dorado launched MusicFest in 1988 and agreed to team up with MAD when MAD opened in 2017, which marked the 30th anniversary of MusicFest.
MSE counts the number of festivals, not the years, in tracking milestone anniversaries for MusicFest.
"We're so excited. It should be the 34th MusicFest but it's the 33rd. We had to cancel several events in 2020 because of COVID," said Beth Brumley, MSE executive director.
"We only did a few events last year. MusicFest is one we did not do so we're excited to bring it back. It's going to be everything that everyone has come to know and love about MusicFest on the Square," Brumley continued. "We have tons of fun stuff on the schedule."
MusicFest will kick off Sept. 26 with the Miss MusicFest Pageant, sponsored by Cole's Jewelers, and close out Oct. 2 with a 5K/10K run and walk, two stages of live music, food and arts-and-crafts vendors, a beer garden, games, KidsWorld and plenty of attractions, including a rock-climbing wall, four-man bungee jumping, a zip line, mechanical bull, vertigo ride, laser tag and large inflatables.
New to MusicFest -- and to MSE -- this year is the Pupp's BBQ Rib Cook-off.
The cook-off is a part of the Grill Wars cooking competition series that has been incorporated into other MSE events that are presented throughout the year.
Each installment of Grill Wars features a different food and theme.
"We're going to try our hand at ribs. This will be our first rib cook-off," Brumley said. "This will be Grill Wars for MusicFest. We encourage our locals to participate."
Registration for MusicFest activities
• Miss MusicFest Pageant, 2 p.m., Sept. 26, First Financial Music Hall.
The pageant is open to contestants, ages zero to 18, who will compete in eight age divisions. Entry fees are $40 per child or $35 each for multiple contestants from one household.
A registration fee of $15 per contestant is required for the optional, Outfit of Choice (OOC) portion of the pageant.
Only music-themed outfits -- such as genre, era, artist look-alike -- are allowed. Organizers encourage participants to "get creative and have fun with this part of the pageant!"
"Side awards" for Best Hair, Best Fashion and Best Personality will be judged during the OOC competition.
Contestants who do not participate in the OOC will not be eligible for "side awards."
Photogenic Award winners will be selected in each age division. The Registration fee for the photogenic competition is $5 per photo that is submitted.
A People's Choice award winner will also be announced.
Admission into the pageant is $5 each for attendees ages 6 and older.
Each pageant contestant will receive a pass for one person with a paid entry fee.
Monday, Sept. 20, is the deadline to enter the Miss MusicFest Pageant with the $40 registration fee. Late registration is $60 per entry.
Contestants may also sign up from 10 until 11 a.m. on the day of the pageant in the First Financial Music Hall.
• Medical Center of South Arkansas-MusicFest 5K/10K Run and Walk, Oct. 2, Downtown El Dorado.
Registration begins at 7 a.m. on Oct. 2 and the race starts at 7:35 a.m. at 214 N. Washington Avenue.
Early-bird registration is $25 until Sept. 24 and includes a T-shirt while supply lasts. The registration fee increases to $35 Sept. 25 - Oct. 1. On-site registration is $40, cash only, on the day of the race.
Winners will be named for first, second and third place in male and female categories and in each age division. Overall winners, male and female, will also be selected.
• Pupp's BBQ Rib War, Oct. 2, Downtown El Dorado.
Contestants will vie for more than $4,000 in cash and other prizes, including a first-place prize of $1,500 cash and a trophy.
Entry fees are $100 per team and $25 for participation in "side awards," including Best Team T-shirt and Best Music-Themed Cooking Area.
Ribs will be sold for a public tasting. Tickets are $2 per sample (bone) and they will go on sale at noon Oct. 2 at the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce cook-off tent, 111 W. Main.
Tickets for the public tasting may be purchased for any cooking team.
The deadline to sign up for the rib cook-off is noon on Monday, Sept. 27.
Setup for cooking areas/pits will be held from noon until 7 p.m. Oct. 1 on Cleveland Avenue between Elm and Cedar streets.
Cooking areas will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. Before setting up, grill teams will need to check in at the chamber of commerce's cook-off tent.
Check-in/final setup is scheduled for 7 a.m. Oct. 2. A cooks' meeting will follow at 8 a.m. at the chamber of commerce.
• El Dorado Metals Cornhole Tournament, Oct. 2, Main and Cleveland streets.
The entry fee is $50 per team. Participants may download the SCOREHOLIO app to register.
Late registration will be open from 1 until 2 p.m. Oct. 2. Practice starts at 2 p.m. and the tourney kicks off at 3 p.m.
Prizes are $1,000 cash for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third.
Schedule
The MusicFest schedule for Oct. 2 is:
• 7 - 8 a.m., check-in and final setup for Pupp's BBQ Rib War, 111 W Main, El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce
• 7 a.m., late registration for Medical Center of South Arkansas 5/10K, 214 N Washington Ave. The race begins at 7:35 a.m.
• 9 a.m., Information and T-Shirt Booth opens, location to be announced; MCSA 5/10K awards will be announced on the Mac's Tree Service Stage, Jefferson Avenue. Craft and food vendors open
• 10 a.m., School performances, including choirs, bands and orchestras, Karl Malone Auto Group Stage, Main Street. KidsWorld will also open with free attractions in the Mahony parking lot next to Merle Norman on South Washington Avenue.
• 11 a.m., attractions open, Washington and Elm. Attractions are $5 each. Wristbands may be purchased for $20 for all access throughout the day.
• Noon, beer sales begin and tickets go on sale for the public-tasting in the rib cook-off.
• 1 p.m., registration begins for the El Dorado Metals Cornhole Tournament at Main Street Antiques and More, 112 W. Main. El Dorado students Carmelo Brown and Mason Halstead will perform on the Mac's stage.
• 1:15 p.m., Miss MusicFest Pageant queens will be recognized, Karl Malone stage.
• 1:30 p.m., Jacob Flores, Karl Malone stage.
• 2 p.m. Cornhole tournament practice.
• 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. (or while supplies last), rib cook-off public tastings begin in the competition area, Cleveland Avenue.
• 2:45 p.m., TuneSmith, Mac's Tree Service Stage.
• 3 p.m., Cornhole Tournament begins.
• 3:15 p.m., Soulpranos, Karl Malone stage.
• 4:30 p.m., Awards announced for Rib War, Karl Malone stage. Eric Meadows will perform on the Mac's stage.
• 5 p.m., Militia, Karl Malone stage.
• 6 p.m., attractions and Kids World close.
• 6:15 p.m., Brody McKinney, Mac's stage.
• 6:45 p.m., Trey Gauthreaux, Karl Malone stage.
• 8:30 p.m., Cody Cooke and the Bayou Outlaws. Karl Malone stage.
For more information about MusicFest, call the Main Street El Dorado office at 870-862-4747, send an email to Brumley at [email protected] or visit www.mainstreeteldorado.org or www.facebook.com/mainstreeteldorado.