Diamonds in the Fall festival set for this weekend

The Murfreesboro Chamber of Commerce has finalized the schedule for the Diamonds in the Fall Festival which will be held on the Pike County Courthouse Square on Saturday, Oct. 28 in Murfreesboro.

The festival will also feature the annual Trunk or Treat event that will begin at 5:30 p.m. and run until 7 p.m.

Festival organizers stressed that there would be plenty of room for any vehicle owners that wish to participate, and that there was no cost for individuals to be a part of the event. It was stated that participants plan for at least 300 children, allowing those handing out candy to have a proper amount to last the entire event.

In addition, organizers asked that all children participating in the Trunk or Treat start their collections by the Polka Dotted Pig on the west side of the Courthouse Square.

The costume contest will be held at 3:30 p.m. under the City Service Station pavilion and will feature four age groups, with the winners receiving candy buckets full of treats.

Other events scheduled for the festival include:

• 10 a.m. — Cakewalk

• 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. — Kids Unlimited

• Between 2:30 and 4:00 — Local Talent

• After 4:00 — Live music featuring the Bear Creek Boys

Vendors at the event will include a corndog and funnel cake retailer, the CADC Senior Center will be selling cornbread and pinto beans, there will be a bounce house and face-painting for the kids, a tote-bag and sack vendor, and soaps for sale. Event organizers state that lots of new vendors have been added for this year’s festival.

Ruth Steely of Ruth Steely Agency, Farmers Insurance will be doing fingerprinting for free from 12 noon to 2 p.m.

There will be some small carnival-style rides that will stay open later as long as people are utilizing them and new to the festival this year will be a bucking bull ride.

Rusty Relics will also be on hand to allow festival attendees to look over their antique tractors.   

For food enthusiasts, a pumpkin pie baking contest will be held at 11 a.m. at the City Service Station pavilion. The pies will be available for sale to the public for a fee after the event.

A chili cook-off will also be held at the pavilion, with cooking starting at 8 a.m. and judging beginning at noon. There is no admission fee, and participants may enter more than one variety.  Some assembly is allowed before the event, such as precooked meat. 

Contestants will sell their chili for $3 per bowl following the event, with tasting cups provided. All contestants get to keep half of their chili sale proceeds, and the one who sells the most chili will win a first place prize of $200 donated by First State Bank. Condiments such as cheese, crackers and chips will also be provided.  

Entry forms for the chili cook-off must be returned to the Mayor’s Office or First State Bank no later than Oct. 25. 

A pie eating contest is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at the pavilion. The winner of the youth and adult division will each garner $25 worth of Chamber Bucks.

Pumpkin decorating will be held at 1 p.m. at the pavilion as a fun activity for the kids in attendance.

A dog show featuring canines dressed up in costumes will be held at the stage at 2 p.m., with the winner of the event walking away with treats and toys.

New to the festival this year will be a the Diamond Family Fun 5K Walk/Run that will begin at South Pike County High School and finish at the Courthouse Square. The race will begin at 8 a.m.

Festival T-shirts are available for preorder and will be available for sale at Em’s Cafe and Trunk of Treasures on the Square.

The shirts will feature the sponsors of the event on the back in the three levels — Diamond, Ruby and Emerald.

All registration forms for all events can be picked up prior to the festival at the Murfreesboro Mayor’s office, On the Square Home and Floral, Trunk of Treasures or by calling the Murfreesboro Chamber Office at (870) 285-3131.

Community

Enrichment Booths:

Ruth Steeley Farmer’s Insurance — Finger Printing 12:00-2:00

Elite Home Health — 2 Booths

The Call — Stacy Cowart

First Step of Glenwood — Tera Coffman

Hospice of Pike County — Danny Dougan

Jewelry — Tracy Hile

Baked Goods — Lane Christie

Games:

Cake Walk, MHS Band Boosters — Games for Kids, Diamond Bank — Pumpkin Carving & Painting, Face Painting, Bucking Bull, Bounce Houses, Robert Hulsey — Games for Kids, Dog Costume Contest, Costume Contest

Business Vendors:

31 Bags — Allison Dean

Sentsy Products — Meri Harris

Soaps — Lynn Gleba

Plunder Jewelry — Carrie Maroon & Karen Richardson

Southern Flair — Clothes, Jewelry, Purses

Mommy & Me Photography

Handcrafted Items — Stephanie Moss & Leslie Vaught

Accessories — Dena Tollett

Sports Books, Knives, Sunglasses — Gary Segrest

Graysonia Woodworks — Scotty Rowton

Food Vendors:

Cornbread & Beans — Murfreesboro CADC Senior Citizens Center

Los Agaves — Tacos

Lee’s Concessions

James Forbes — Kettle Corn

Karen Terrell — Shaved Ice

Robert Hulsey — Funnel Cakes and Corn Dogs

Pumpkin Pies from Pie Baking Contest

Chili from Chili Cooking Contest

Stage Schedule:

11 a.m. — Alley Heaston

Pie Eating Contest in front of Stage

12:30 p.m. — B-Positive

1:45 p.m. — Ethan Kuntz

Dog Show in front of Stage

2:30 p.m. — Kids Unlimited

4:00 p.m. — Kids Unlimited

5:30 p.m. — Bear Creek Boys

5:30 p.m. — Trunk or Treat begins