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Malvern festival runs 37 years and going strong
For a city declared by its chamber of commerce as “the Brick Capital of the World,” it is only fitting that there be an incredibly fun and festive celebration each year to commemorate the economic impact bricks have had on the area.
Family and friends will have the opportunity Friday and Saturday to have a blast at the 37th annual Malvern Brickfest at Malvern City Park.
Lance Howell, executive director of the Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce, said he is pleased with the longevity of the event.
“We are very proud as a community that our festival has been able to continue, uninterrupted, for 37 years,” he said.
Audiences can see both local and national performers of country music at the event. This year’s headliner is national recording artist Jerrod Niemann, who will take the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday. Niemann has been performing country music for nearly a decade and boasts award nominations from the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association and Country Music Television. Niemann has toured with artists such as Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. At 2017 Brickfest, Niemann hopes to bring a new vibe with his current releases and hits.
Preceding Niemann will be Arkansas-based Riverbilly. The country band formed in 2007 and played local shows but now performs all over the nation. This year’s Brickfest event is part of Riverbilly’s 10th-anniversary tour.
While music is a large part of the entertainment for festivalgoers, that is certainly not all Brickfest has to offer. Other events include the Brickfest 5K, a car show, a cutest baby contest, a watermelon-eating contest, a dog show, a quilt show, a horseshoe tournament, a BB shooting gallery, the Brick Car Derby, a brick toss, the bestdressed-brick contest, the Brick-B-Que Baby Back Rib Cook-Off and more. People can buy tickets for the Brick-B-Que Rib Dinner on Saturday afternoon to eat competition-quality ribs and can also purchase tickets for the Brickfest Bull Bash bull-riding event.
The Brick-B-Que Baby Back Rib Cook-Off will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday at the Hot Spring County Fairgrounds. The contest’s entry fee is $50, and meal tickets are available for $10 for those looking to get a taste of the food at 5 p.m. The cooks will have the opportunity to bring home money and trophies from the event. The first-prize winner garners $1,000, second prize is $500, and third prize is $250.
Although Brickfest provides numerous outlets for entertainment, it is important to remember the principal reason for the celebration.
“Malvern Brickfest commemorates the importance of bricks to the history of Malvern and Hot Spring County,” Howell said. “Since 1887, the brick industry has played a leading role in the area’s economic development. Beginning in 1981, Malvern has recognized and celebrated that fact with a community festival each summer.”
The Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce declared the city the Brick Capital of the World in 1980 and began a festival to commemorate the recognition. Acme Brick Co. still thrives in Hot Spring County. Even the Perla West Gate plant got back on line last year after being down a few years because of economic struggles.
The area currently boasts three Acme Brick plants. Acme Brick helps the festival by providing souvenir bricks and making other bricks that are used for various events in the festival. The company also donates 10,000 bricks as a prize in the prize drawing Brickfest will have Saturday night.
Along with Acme Brick Co., Sykes Enterprises, a customer contact center in Malvern, helps the festival continue to have success. Both Sykes Enterprises and Acme Brick Co. are top-tier sponsors of the event.
Howell said he hopes the festival continues to have success and brings people from all over to the event.
“Brickfest is a real tradition in the Malvern area. Our hope is that everyone in the Malvern and Hot Spring County area will continue to come out and enjoy what we’ve been enjoying here for decades, and our neighbors from around the state will join us for the fun,” Howell said.