Main Street Madness deemed a success

The Portageville Chamber of Commerce kicked off the 71st Annual National Soybean Festival this past Saturday with Main Street Madness! The weather was beautiful and the crowd was large, something that is always much appreciated for outdoor festivals such as these. Lined with corn stalks and orange bows along the light poles, Main Street was decked out for fall. The day kicked off with the Soybean Shuffle 5K sponsored by SRG Global.

At 9:00 Chamber of Commerce President, Dr. Clint Klipfel, gave the official welcome. "This year's theme is "Music of Days Gone By--Dancing Through the Decades. This theme was chosen to symbolize how music plays such an important role in each of our lives. Whether a song brings back a particular memory or takes you to a special place in time, we all relate to music in a unique way. We invite you to join us all week as we reminisce the days gone by and dance on through a festival of fun activities."

He thanked visitors for shopping locally, pointed out some important locations and thanked all of the 2018 sponsors. New to the event this year were two magic shows sponsored by First State Community Bank. Michael Clayton of Mid South Magic presented crowd-thrilling acts from the Main Stage at 9:30 and 12:30 as he amazed kids and adults alike.

At 10:00 am, the Cornhole Tournament began on the Community Center Parking Lot. Sponsored by First State Bank and Trust, the tournament brought 16 teams in for a friendly competition along with multiple people on the sidelines to cheer them on through the double-elimination game. The First Place winners of $200.00 were Lance Mansfield and Adam Cecil. The Second Place winners of $100.00 were Chris Brown and Anthony Sledge.

Back at the Main Stage, the Annual Soybean Beauty Pageant also started shortly after 10:00. The pageant brings in young ladies of all ages dressed in formal pageant wear to compete for the title and crown. "We are always pleased to see so many young girls and ladies come out for this event. They are always so impressive and without a doubt give the judges some deep thinking to do" states Tonya Vannasdall, chairman of the pageant.

The 2018 winners were as follows. In the 6 to 8-year-old category, the Little Miss Soybean Queen was Anna Jane Priggel of Portageville, daughter of John and Shelly Priggel. 1st Alternate was Miss Kayleigh Dodd of Portageville, daughter of Matt and Heather Dodd; 2nd Alternate was Miss Kaydence McMillen of Portageville, daughter of Seth and Jennifer McMillen. In the 9 to 12-year-old category, Reese Carr of Campbell, MO, daughter of Kendra Carr, was crowned Queen. Chloe Brown of Holcomb, MO, daughter of Kristal Sells, was crowned 1st Alternate; Liza Jane Priggel of Portageville, daughter of Joey and Heather Priggel placed 2nd Alternate. In the 13 to 15-year-old category, Hannah Spain of Portageville, daughter of Kenneth Spain and Angie Palmer was crowned Junior Miss Soybean Queen. In the 16 to 19-year-old category, Railey Bradfield of Portageville was crowned the 2018 Soybean Queen. She is the daughter of Toby and Kelli Bradfield. 1st Alternate was Gracie Williams of Paragould, AR, daughter of Jennifer Williams; 2nd Alternate went to Haylie Hammack of Portageville, daughter of Jim and April Hammack. 

Throughout the day, attendees enjoyed food, fun, and shopping that was sure to be a hit for all ages. With over 50 booths set up along three blocks of Main Street, individuals could pick up a hand-made craft, buy a t-shirt or gather information about various businesses, organizations and campaigns.

Of course, no festival is complete without some good food. The smells of funnel cakes, freshly grilled burgers, hot wings, and fried pies filled the air. And what better way to cool off from all of that walking than with a snow cone! Kid's enjoyed activities such as bounce houses, 9 holes of Putt-Putt Golf and playing in the trailer of corn when they weren't shopping local vendors for a new favorite toy!

The final event from the Main Stage was a the She-Man pageant sponsored by Project Graduation. Boys in the senior class wore wigs, make-up, and dresses as they petitioned the crowd for donations for their class. Collecting the most money, Sam Riggs, son of Adam and Jody Riggs was crowned Queen.

"I would consider the day a huge success. "We had terrific weather, lots of great vendors and a crowd the entire day. We are fortunate to have community events like today in Portageville" states Lori Robinson, chairman of Main Street Madness. 

The Chamber wishes to thank everyone who came out Saturday to get the 71st Annual Soybean Festival started along with all of their sponsors who make the entire week possible. Please join us on Main Street Thursday evening for the Grand Parade at 7:00 and Friday evening at 8:00 for the first "Bean Bash" featuring live music by Pocket Change. If you have not gotten your official 2018 National Soybean Festival shirt yet, those can be purchased at Health Connection Chiropractic for $18.00.