The following is a press release from the 2024 Buck Fever Festival:
Opening day of deer season is upon us and we all know what that means in south Arkansas. The City of Banks and the Buck Fever Festival Committee are gearing up for the 38th Annual Buck Fever Festival. The festival falls during opening weekend of rifle season every year and as exciting as that is, what’s even more exciting is getting the youth involved. This year the festival will kick off the weekend of the youth hunt with a venison chili cook-off with a winning prize of $100 and the baggo tournament with a winning team prize of $500. The youth hunters will also have their very own biggest buck and doe competition with biggest doe earning $100 and biggest buck $250. Break The Dawn will be taking the stage at 6:30pm so come eat, play, and have a good time with the kids.
Activities will continue Thursday, November 7th with an optional pageant practice for all ages 6pm-7pm. The traditional Buck Fever pageant will begin for our little ones age 0-4 years old on Friday, Nov. 8th at 6:30pm. Food vendors will be available.
Saturday, November 9th, the festival continues at 10:00am with several amazing vendors , a flu shot clinic, and a children’s corner hosted by Primetime Riders. The children’s corner will include build-a-bear, jump houses, games, and much more. The Cake Walk starts at 10:30am and the Cutest Dog Contest will be taking place at 11am, so be sure to walk for tasty prizes and see the cute pups while you wait for the parade. The parade begins at 12:00pm with a best overall entry prize of $200, a best float prize of $300, and all other parade divisions have a cash prize as well with no entry fees. Be sure to check out the Facebook page for more details.
The fish dinner will follow the parade at 12:15 in the big tent and the 3nd Annual Banks All Class Reunion will have their very own table set up in the tent so bring your appetites. Other food vendors will be available, as well as, baked goods, arts and crafts, and more.
This year, not only will there be a talent show with a grand prize of $250 but the festival is taking the talent competition to a new level with their very first Antler Idol. Winner of the Antler Idol will take home a $1000 prize. The talent show will kick off at 2pm and is open to all ages. The Antler Idol will follow and competitors must be age 16 and up.
Continuing Saturday night, an award ceremony will be held at 6:00pm for the daytime events and then the girls ages 5-25 will compete for their crowns. The Miss Buck Fever contestants will be competing again for a $4000.00 scholarship from University of Arkansas at Monticello. Pageant entry deadline is October 26th. Entries can be dropped off at Johnny’s Radiator Shop in Warren or can paid via PayPal and sent via email.
The Biggest Buck contest continues again with a $250 prize, a $100 prize for biggest doe and a $50 prize for youth biggest doe. The big deer contests will be judged Saturday night only 6:00-8:00pm and the harvest tag must be dated Nov 9th. Winner will be announced after the pageant along with the drawing for the quilt and rice bran. Be sure to buy some tickets for a chance to win.
Sunday, November 10th, at 12:30pm lunch will be served in the tent. Bro. Todd West will bless everyone with praise and worship at 1:00pm. Come as you are, come hungry, and enjoy God’s blessings on this wonderful opening weekend of deer season.
