By DAWN HANKINS - dhankins@t-g.com
Country music artist Jimmy Wayne will be “king” this year during Bell Buckle’s annual RC-MoonPie Festival—planned for the third Saturday, June 18, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s a time each June, organizers note, when the perennial crowd favorites take top billing within all the fun.
“This festival just keeps making people happy,” said Jenny Hunt. “Even “Southern Living” magazine picked up on the happiness this year with an article about the Bell Buckle Café being one of the best places to eat because it is that good.”
Hunt, who is the public relations and marketing person for the railroad town, said it’s really that good because you can get chocolate, strawberry, banana, and lemon MoonPie Sundaes all year long. “Imagine just making that Bell Buckle RC-MoonPie feeling last all year!”
For any festival novices, just know that MoonPies are tossed into the crowd during the parade; they’re also tossed into the air during the MoonPie Toss games. Best of all, said Hunt, the treats are served as the pièce de résistance when the World’s Largest MoonPie is delivered and served to every single festival goer!
“And we never ever never release the flavor of that World’s Largest MoonPie before it’s presented at the end of the day,” confirmed Hunt. “It’s just not how we ‘mint’ to build that excitement. So you’ll not get even a hint of that flavor from us!”
The “Sweetest Race Ever” starts the day’s fun with the 10 Mile and 5K races. Both courses are certified and attract enough runners to quadruple the population of Bell Buckle. “Both of these certified courses have become a major running competition with well over 1,000 runners entering each year,” said Hunt. “The race includes a T-shirt for all registered runners, Finisher’s Medals, awards in all age categories, and a full breakfast.”
Registration and all other information pertaining to the race can be found at https://bellbucklerc-moonpie10mileand5krun.com/. Simply put, thiss race is just plain fun, explain organizers.
Entertainment on the festival grounds at the stage area includes music, cloggers, tongue-in-cheek humor, featuring The MoonPie Show, on stage with some favorite characters and maybe a few new ones.
“This year’s King and Queen will be the fun kind of royalty that will reflect their wacky kingdom!” said Hunt.
The 2022 RC-MoonPie King is award-winning country recording artist Jimmy Wayne. “Jimmy has performed at the Grand Ole Opry a whopping 224 times!” said Hunt. “He lives in neighboring Nashville and works tirelessly on behalf of at-risk foster youth.”
Wayne’s hits include “Stay Gone,” “Paper Angels,” “I Love You This Much” and “Do You Believe Me Now?” which earned him BMI’s prestigious Million-Air Award for receiving more than one million radio spins in America.
The Bell Buckle 2022 RC-MoonPie “Queen” is Jackie Marushka.
“Our Bell Buckle royalty is a bit of everything and a lot of over the topness!” said Hunt.
“Her Royal Highness” is a Leadership Music alum, a member of The Recording Academy, Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, the American Association of Independent Music, and she proudly serves on the Academy Awards (Oscars) Public Relations team.
The rest of the day will be filled with the RC-MoonPie games—the MoonPie toss, RC Walk while balancing an RC or two or more, and many other of the crowd favorites! Enjoy contests, art and craft booths, live entertainment, and food booths featuring such Southern fares as Tennessee Smoked Barbecue, hand squeezed lemonade and deep fat fried Moon Pies!
Hunt says wait . . . the crème de la crème is yet to come! The serving of the World’s Largest MoonPie serves as the day’s grand finale.
What flavor will it be this year? Come on out to Bell Buckle and find out.
Go to www.BellBuckleChamber.com for more information.
