Founders Day events are back
“It’s back!”
White Hall’s Founders Day celebration will kick off Saturday with a parade down Dollarway Road, followed by live music and a festival in White Hall City Park.
The last two Founders Day events were cancelled.
“We are ready to welcome residents and out-oftown visitors,” said Joe Spadoni, White Hall Chamber of Commerce president.
The chamber hosts the annual event, and he expects a large turnout this year.
“The weather is supposed to be super nice. … I look forward to it,” Spadoni said.
Mayor Noel Foster said he can’t wait, and like Spadoni, he expects a big crowd.
“We want to extend an invitation to everyone. We have a great day of fun planned,” Foster said.
Saturday’s parade starts at 10 a.m., and travels along Dollarway Road, with the winning parade floats announced at the John Terry Amphitheater in the park afterward.
At 11 a.m., inside the park, across from City Hall at 101 Parkway Drive, Founders Day officially opens to visitors with a variety of performances, crafts, festival-style food and more. The Kids Zone includes a free petting zoo and other kid-friendly options, Spadoni said.
All the rides require a $5 wristband.
The event’s proceeds will go to the White Hall Food Pantry. Also, the Chamber is collecting canned food items instead of charging a parade entry fee, Spadoni said.
From 2:30-4:30 p.m., renowned Arkansas singer and songwriter Greg Ward and his Good Times Band will perform traditional country, honky-tonk and gospel favorites at the amphitheater.
For more information about the Founders Day celebration Saturday, go to: whitehallfoundersday.com. For parade information or to sign up, call Joe Spadoni at (870) 543-0587 or (870) 247-5502.
START THE MORNING RIGHT
Prior to the parade and events in the park, visitors are invited to the Jitters Morgan Pancake Breakfast at White Hall City Hall, 101 Parkway Drive, from 7-9 a.m.
The all-you-can-eat pancakes, including plain, blueberry or chocolate chips, are being served up by the White Hall Lions Club. Breakfast also includes milk, orange juice and coffee.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids from the ages of 3-10; and kids under 3 eat free.
“Breakfast remains one of the most popular events,” Spadoni said.
DUELING GRILLS
The White Hall Founders Day BBQ Contest starts Friday at 9 a.m. and continues Saturday.
It is a Barbecue Competitors Alliance (BCA) sanctioned event and their rules must be followed. Competitors can earn BCA points by participating in this event.
The entry fee is $150 and teams must cook chicken, ribs and brisket to qualify for the competition.
In total, Spadoni said, “There will be $10,000 in prize money given away to the barbecue winners.”
There is a $1,000 firstplace prize for each of the three categories. Respectively, second, third and fourth place winners are awarded $600, $500 and $400 cash prizes.
Additionally, there is the People’s Choice blind judging competition. Individuals can buy a vote for $5 and cast a ballot for the Best Ribs division. The winner receives a $500 cash prize.
As of Monday morning, 30 teams had signed up to compete, Spadoni said.
A WHITE HALL TRADITION
It’s the 58-year-old city’s most popular festival, and at many past events, city officials estimated there were more than 5,000 in attendance. Nearly as many people attend Founders Day as the city has residents, Foster said.
Spadoni said, it’s grown into much more than a parade, live music and fun food. It’s considered a multifaceted cultural event by the chamber organizers.
“It’s not a money-making event,” instead, it gets people involved in the community and creates a sense of pride for some, and for others it’s a homecoming, he said.
The year 2020 was the first year Founders Day was called off since 1983, when a young James “Jitters” Morgan helped then Gov. Bill Clinton climb up onto the back of a flatbed pickup truck so he could address the crowd.
Twelve years later, Morgan, now deceased, became White Hall’s second mayor. Foster is the city’s third mayor.
The chamber hosted the annual nonprofit festival for 37 years, until in 2020 when it was canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic. Spadoni said at that time, “It was disappointing.”
Like Founders Day, many past activities are only now returning to in-person events. With the introduction of the covid-19 vaccines and the state’s reduction in infection rates and deaths, the White Hall Chamber of Commerce decided to host Founders Day in 2021. But Foster nixed the plan when the covid-19 Delta variant surged during the late summer and fall months.
He said there was no way to follow state health department guidelines of six feet of separation during the event.
Now, Foster said, “It’s good to be back.”