Meredith Caddell, Craig English, Bob Weaver, Lynn Lutrell, and Kerry Wright, members of the Hopkins
County Chamber of Commerce Board, met at the giant stew pot and announced that they will be
moving the 2009 World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest to Buford Park to allow for more room.
World Champion Hopkins County Stew
Contest to Move to Buford Park
For 2009 Event
by: Bobby McDonald
It's been rumored for over a year now, and with Tuesday night's Sulphur Springs City Council's unanimous approval, the World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest, will be moving to Buford Park for their 2009 Event. "We're just running out of room and needed more space," allowed Meredith Caddell, Chamber of Commerce CEO, who sponsors the event. "My board hasn't taken this move lightly! We've consulted stew cooks, those who come annually for the event, and members of the city staff, and gotten their opinions."
"It isn't always easy to break tradition, but we've just absolutely run out of room at the previous site," continued Caddell. "The contest just keeps growing and we had 135 pots last year, with stew cooks piled on top of each other and nowhere to put them. Finally, something had to be done!"
"It would have been much, much easier on the Chamber of Commerce Board and all of our volunteers to continue in the same location," added Bob Weaver, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Board. "We've spent hours of planning, measuring, and allowing the city staff to convince us that it will work and work better in Buford Park. I don't remember it ever being there, but the 'old-timers' in this community can remember it being over near the football field and Eagle Stadium, when it first got started. Many things have changed in our community and we just had to do something to allow for more room and parking!"
"And, we don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that we aren't working with the Fall Festival organization on this move," inserted Caddell. "This is something that we've discussed with them and we're working to provide public transportation between the Civic Center and Buford Park, so that it will not inconvenience anyone attending all events! It's merely growing-pains and something that had to be addressed before we hosted another contest! Once we began discussing a move, we notified the Fall Festival Board to give them ample time to add other attractions in the former stew site and began contacting people to provide transportation between the two sites."
Bob Weaver, Chairman of the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Board, decides to be "stewed"
as they announce that they will be moving the 2009 Contest. "Change can be uncomfortable, but also
offers many, many new possibilities," denoted Weaver, as he climbed in the pot!
Knowing that there will be more room, the Chamber Board is already preparing for some 150 pots that could be entered for the 2009 Contest. "With people having ample room to cook stew and decorate their campsite, we could likely attract even more people wanting to enter the contest," continued Caddell. "That's what we're hoping and hoping that everyone will make plans to work with the new location and make this the best contest in history!"
Members of the Chamber of Commerce Board allowed that almost everyone had indicated that the Buford Park location was near enough to the Civic Center, that with the shuttles going back and forth that those attending can comfortably ride back and forth to the many events. "We've also talked to Central Baptist Church and can use their parking lot, the parking at Gerald Prim Stadium, and all around the edges of Buford Park," added Chamber Board Member and Stew Committee Member, Kerry Wright. "We're anticipating it to be a win-win situation for everyone, so that the entire Fall Festival event can accommodate more people!"
"The way we have the 'grid' laid-out for the contest, there should be ample shade for everyone who is cooking stew!" declared Lynn Lutrell, who serves as the Special Events Chairman for the Chamber of Commerce. "We been out with tape measures, city staff, and walked numerous times over the Buford Park area, and we're convinced that this will give everyone so, so much more room!"
The Chamber of Commerce invites anyone concerned about the new location to contact them, where they will shortly have a copy of the area and all sites marked. "We want everyone to work with us and make certain that no one is disappointed with the new location!" expressed Caddell. "Let's start praying now for some wonderfully cool autumn weather and planning on helping the Hopkins County Fall Festival 40th Anniversary event the best that Hopkins County can host! We're going to do our part and make certain that we have more room, more parking, and some of the best Hopkins County Stew that can be cooked!"
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