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2 •CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL CATFISH FESTIVAL MEMBERS AND SPONSORS for their part in the
20th Annual Catfish Festival 2012 BI01-706518
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012 • 3
Ellen Priest PresidHQW 3XEOLVKHU B6 /<<C/:
Frank Johnson Editor
Chris Zoeller Regional Advertising Director
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Catfish Festival equals family fun
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Cheryl Cargill Business Manager
Cover: Krena Lanham
Staff Writer: Dan Brown Advertising Staff: Ann Mack Administrative Assistant: Betsy Craven-Bailey Graphic Designer: Linda Anderson Online Content Assistant: Adrian Grimes
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We
Annual event promises excitement – and a few changes – in 2012 BY DAN BROWN The Independent
here’s a hint of catfish in the air. That aroma of good food can only mean the 2012 St. Stephen Catfish Festival is just around the corner. The Catfish Festival will run from March 30-April 1, and this year event organizer Johnny Broome says there will be a few changes and twists, including a roaming magic act and some additions
to the Catfish Stew Cook Off. “We’ve got a couple new things coming to this year’s Catfish Festival,” Broome said. “We have a magician coming, Ricker M., who will walk around the festival grounds performing various magic tricks for kids and magic fans of all ages.” According to Broome, Ricker M. is a magical entertainer performing professionally since 1979. “He delivers his shows with humor and interaction that gets everyone involved in the act,” Broome said. “He is also an accomplished balloonist, juggler and puppeteer. He’ll be available all three days of the festiSee FESTIVAL Page 6
the Catfish Festival! 20th annual
Friday
March
30th
saturday
March
31st
sunday
April
1st
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Proud to Cover the Catfish Festival! 323 E- Main St. | Moncks Corner 29461 | 843.761.6397 | BerkeleyInd.com
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4 •CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
DELECTABLE TREATS
Welcome to
St. Stephen’s 20th Annual
Dan Brown/Independent
A wide assortment of delectable treats were available to sample at the 2011 Catfish Festival, including smoked turkey legs, Italian sausage, and Polish links served up by Kahl Almour of Caribbean Grill.
St. Stephen’s 20th Annual Catfish Festival
Be safe, have fun and enjoy yourself.
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WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012 • 5
THE TOWN OF ST. STEPHEN’S 20TH ANNUAL CATFISH FESTIVAL We welcome everyone to come out and enjoy the many festivities that will be going on at the festival March 30, 31 and April 1.
Robert B. Hoffman Mayor Council John W. Rivers, Mayor Pro Tem Robbie Ballentine
Louis Brown
Anne P. Keller
Jerry L. Thrower
William F. Truesdale
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6 •CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
Dan Brown/Independent
Hannah Garbrick and Brooklyn Windham of St. Stephen, enjoy a ride at the 2010 edition of the Catfish Festival.
FESTIVAL from page 3 val.” Broome added that Miss Jingles the clown will also be back this year with a face painting booth. “Miss Jingles has always
been a crowd favorite here,” he said. The Catfish Festival begins Friday afternoon, March 30, at 4 p.m., and will continue through Sunday evening at 7 p.m. The festival will present all local fare, crafts and food for the public to enjoy. While the annual undertak-
ing may be made up of fun and games, the importance of the festival can’t be denied. “It’s important for people to know that they can bring the whole family out here for a good time,” Broome said. The three-day event is free and open to the public. See FESTIVAL 2 Page 7
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St. Stephen’s 20th Annual Catfish Festival
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WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012 • 7
FESTIVAL 2 from page 6 Broom said all the standard Catfish Festival favorites will be present in the days ahead, including the annual Cake Walk, Sweet Pea contest and Catfish Stew Cook Off scheduled for Saturday afternoon. “This year we’re doing something a little different with the Catfish Stew Cook Off,” Broome said. “This year we’re not requiring that you prepare your catfish stew in the designated site.” While the rules of same-day preparation apply, contestants can prepare their stew anywhere on the festival grounds. “You have to cook it there during the festival, but you can cook it anywhere on the festival grounds,” Broome said. “This will allow some of the festival vendors to participate as well.” There will be more than 20 food vendors onsite at this year’s Catfish Festival. “We want to open up the contest field a little bit and give everybody an opportunity to participate,” Broome said. “Some of our festival vendors can whip up a good batch of catfish stew.” See FESTIVAL 3 Page 10
Santee Drug Center 3931-D Byrnes Drive Saint Stephen, SC 29479 Jennifer Easler/Special to The Independent
Billie Davis accepts the first place prize money for winning the 2010 Catfish Stew Cook-off.
Broome Mobile DJ and Sound Service
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8 •CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
PONY RIDE FUN Dan Brown/Independent
Two-year-old Sky Ladson from Huger gets her first taste of riding the range at the Catfish Festival’s pony ride attraction in 2011.
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WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012 • 9
In 2012, still a Catfish Stew fool …
BY DAN BROWN The Independent
his time every year I get asked the same question: “Are you judging the Catfish Stew Cook Off in St. Stephen?” They remember what happened the first time. This is the St. Stephen Catfish Festival, I reply, I’ll be there with bells on. And they chuckle. This of course, always starts the required retelling of what has quickly become something of a folk tale around these parts, my first experience in judging the Catfish Stew Cook Off and how I downed six pints of catfish stew in a little over 15 minutes. I had never judged any kind of a contest before, but figured it couldn’t be that hard. You pick whatever food tastes best.
Simple enough, right? One would think so. The wrinkle here is that I am not much of a seafood fan. Call it a lingering yet mild case of post-traumatic stress disorder over an incident involving a fishbone embedded in my tonsil as a child, and my mom wanting to pluck it out with a steak knife. I figured that which did not make me ill would win the contest. While waiting on the stew I first received a bit of a treat, lime sherbet. “To cleanse your palate,” the sherbet lady said. This is catfish stew, who needs a clean palate? I saw it as dessert, except first. So I obliged and took a full-on palate bath, devouring the cup of lime sherbet. Then I’m brought the first cup of catfish stew. The cup wasn’t a small cup either, but one of those 16-ounce varieties, and it was nearly three-quarters full of catfish stew. Very tasty, I thought sampling the first
WELCOME TO ST. STEPHEN’S 20TH ANNUAL CATFISH FESTIVAL
See STEW Page 11
We hope everyone has a fun and safe day while enjoying the activities of the Catfish Festival.
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10 •CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
GOOD FOOD, GOOD TIMES Delicious food will be a major part of the St. Stephen Catfish Festival experience in 2012. Frank Johnson/Independent
FESTIVAL 3 from page 7 The 20-plus vendors on hand will provide the same fare the Catfish Festival has enjoyed for years, including funnel cakes and hand-dipped corn dogs, gyro wraps and frozen treats, just to name a few. “We have a large variety of great food available every year,” Broome said. Broome said that while last year’s weather was a little blustery, the sunshine and
warmer temperatures paid off, turning 2011 into one of the most attended festival in years. “Our turnout last year was one of our biggest years,” he said. “We had great attendance all three days.” Broome also mentioned the growing popularity of the festival’s final day that features daylong gospel concerts. “We are open on Sunday at 1 p.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m. Sunday night,” he said. “We will feature live gospel singing throughout the day. The
popularity of gospel music has really grown over the years and we didn’t realize how popular gospel singing was.” In addition to a wide variety of food selections the Catfish Festival offers some of the best in local arts and crafts. “We have a good many craft vendors coming this year,” Broome said. The annual Catfish Festival Parade begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 31. At 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon, judging for the Catfish Stew Cook Off wraps up, and capping the day’s festivities is judging for
the annual Miss Catfish Festival and Sweet Pea contest. “Anyone who wants to dress up in a skirt and heels is invited to enter the Sweet Pea Contest,” Broome said. Broome also wanted to thank his top sponsors Home Telecom and St. Stephen IGA, and TDS St. Stephen, which is sponsoring the catfish stew cook off. Festival hours are Friday, 4 to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
HOOD’S INSURANCE AND REALTY SERVICE
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WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012 • 11
STEW
THE TOWN OF BONNEAU
from page 9 spoonful. Then I had at it. I knocked off that first cup of stew in a hurry, even scraping the bottom of the cup for that last morsel of stew residue. I contentedly sighed, and marked on my judge’s sheet, “We have a winner.” Then I looked up and saw a second cup of catfish stew. Awesome, I thought. I had at it again. I emptied that cup as well. This was when I looked up and saw four more cups of catfish stew awaiting my spoon. Whoo-boy, I thought. This is a lot of stew. I noticed others were down to their final cups. Dang, I’m behind here. This judging thing is harder than I thought. So I got busy on cups 3, 4 and 5. I was half way through cup number 6 when I hit the wall. I See STEW 2 Page 12
congratulates St. Stephen on their 20th Annual Catfish Festival. We hope everyone that attends will enjoy the many festivities and have a safe and fun day. The Town of Bonneau “Where the Living is Easy.”
Dan Brown/Independent
Catfish festival organizer Johnny Broome is expecting great things from the 2012 event.
St. Stephen’s 20 Annual Catfish Festival
COMPUTER FACTORY OUTLET
Mayor REMBERT WRENN
Freddie James
REPAIR/UPGRADE
4042 Byrnes Drive P.O. Box 1242 St. Stephen, SC 29479
843.567.3240 843.607.2713 BI01-718863
Councilmen Allen June Debbie Thomas J.C. Ray Jimmy Ward Visit our website at bonneausc.com BI01-482744 BI01-718793
12 •CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
UP IN THE
AIR! Chandler Morris, Cooper Powell and Kalai Johnson enjoy the Paratrooper ride at the 2011 Catfish Festival in St. Stephen. Dan Brown/Independent
BI01-717056
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012 • 13
STEW 2 from page 11 was full. I turned to the judge seated next to me and muttered, “I don’t think I can finish this last cup of stew. What do I do?” He looked at me. Then he looked at my neat stack of empty 16ounce Styrofoam cups. He said, “Dude, you’re not supposed to eat it all. You only take a couple bites. You didn’t know that?” Oh. No, I didn’t know that. I wish somebody had told me that up front. It was about this time when my stomach sent me a little text message by way of the back of my throat: “You have 15 minutes to get home or all bets are off.” I handed in my tally sheet and said, “I got to go.” The sherbet lady asked,
Dan Brown/Independent
The 2012 Catfish Stew Cook Off promises to be a fierce competition. Chuck Dunning proudly displays the first place plaque as winner of the 2011Catfish Stew Cook Off. Paired with his brother Steve, the Dunnings claimed the top prize. “Hon, are you okay?” I replied that I thought I’d eaten too much stew. “How much stew did you eat?” All of it. “Oh good gracious, sweetie you weren’t supposed to eat it all. Didn’t you know that?”
I do now. I did the math. That’s almost a half-gallon of stew. Now, each year I’m reminded, Dan, you only take a spoonful of stew. And I appreciate the reminder. More than they’ll ever know.
ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH ~ Established 1754 ~
Catfish Festival 2012 Sunday Worship Rite I Holy Eucharist 8:45 a.m.
SUPPORTING MY HOMETOWN
20th Annual Catfish Festival St. Stephen, SC
Sunday School and coffee hour immediately after mass
Weekday Worship & Study Wednesday: Rite II Holy Eucharist 6:30 p.m. Adult Christian Education: Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Special Lenten Services: April 1st: Palm Sunday Mass at 8:45 a.m.
Joe Jefferson
April 4th: Tenebrae Prayers & Psalms at 6:30 p.m.
SC House of Representatives, Dist. 102
April 6th: Good Friday Solemn Liturgy at 3:00 p.m.
April 5th: Maundy Thursday Mass at 5:30 p.m. April 6th: Stations of the Cross at 6:00 p.m. April 8th: Easter Mass at 8:45 a.m.
"All are welcome" 196 BRICK CHURCH CIRCLE S T. S T E P H E N , S . C . 2 9 4 7 9 843-567-3419
Paid by the committee to elect Joe Jefferson Jr. PO Box 637, St. Stephen, SC 29479 BI01-716985
BI01-717052
14 •CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
JUST HANGIN’
Schedule Of Events
OUT
March 30th , 31st April 1st, 2012
March 30, 2012 - Friday Amanda Schumann works some high-flying acrobatics on the bungee jump at the 2010 Catfish Festival. Dan Brown/Independent
7:00am
Vendor Set-up Begins - Trailers Only
Noon
Vendor Set-up - All Others
3:30pm
Vendor Set-up - Ends (All vehicles must be out of festival area)
4:00pm
Festival Opens to Public
5:00pm
Local Entertainment (Main Stage)
7:00pm
Nu Attitude Band (Main Stage)
10:30pm
Festival Closes (Clean Up Begins)
March 31, 2012 - Saturday 8:00am
Registration for
9:00am
Vendors must have all vehicles out of festival area
9:30am
Parade Line-Up At Brick Church Circle
10:00am
Parade Starts
11:00am
Puppets Praising Jesus (Main Stage)
Noon
Catfish Stew Cook-Off Begins
Catfish Stew Cook-Off Registration Ends Ms. Jingles Clown (Live Festival Grounds)
1:00pm
Puppets Praising Jesus (Main Stage) Ricker M. (Magical Entertainer) (Live Festival Grounds)
Jamestown, South Carolina
May 4th and 5th
2:00pm
Cake Walks (Main Stage)
4:00pm
Carolina Dancers (In front of main stage)
5:00pm
Catfish Stew Cook-Off Judging Begins TJ Phillips, Gary Griffin and Ric Rush from WEZL
Lots of fun and activities for the entire family!
Wranglers Rockin? Country (In front of main stage)
BI01-717073
Welcome to St. Stephen’s 20th Annual Catfish Festival We hope you have a safe and fun time. SMITH INSURANCE AGENCY 3883 Byrnes Dr., St. Stephen 29479 843-567-2899 843-881-1381
5:20pm
All You Can Eat
Catfish Stew Will Go On Sale
6:00pm
Miss Catfish Festival Sweet-Pea Contest (Main Stage)
7:00pm
The Fantastic Shakers (Main Stage)
11:00pm
Festivities Closes (Clean Up Begins)
April 1, 2012 – Sunday 1:00pm
Rides and Vendors Open
2:00pm
Gospel Singing Begins
7:00pm
Festival Ends
*** Events and Times Are Subject To Change *** BI01-719003
BI01-719001
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012 • 15
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16 •CATFISH FESTIVAL 2012
WEDNESDAY • MARCH 21, 2012
ST. STEPHEN FAMILY DENTISTRY Tristan M. Cordray, DMD Now accepting new patients of all ages and needs
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