THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410140547
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CAMDEN LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
For the past couple of years, the folks in Camden showed just how serious they were about corn by parading around town dressed as cornstalks.
This Saturday's annual festival will take on a different flavor.
The Camden Corn Festival Jamboree kicks off 6:30 p.m. with barbecue and hot dog dinners served with potato chips.
Because it's out of season, there won't be much of the festival's namesake to eat.
``We are going to have popcorn,'' festival co-chairwoman Evelyn Jones said Thursday. ``That's the only corn we'll have.''
The event will be held at the Camden High School gymnasium and last until about midnight.
``We're going to have country western music, line dancing - with instructors there to teach line dancing - and a contest for the best western dress,'' Jones said.
The band Out In The Cold will perform. Disc jockeys Arnold Forbes and Paul Kight also will provide music.
Mixed between music sets will be a mini-fashion show by J&B Western Wear & Tack Shop in Hertford and community skits, Jones said.
A big attraction is bound to be Camden's own Lee Gregory, who will perform his impersonation of county music's Reba McIntyre.
Gregory, who will dress up as the female singer, won last winter's womanless beauty pageant in Camden.
He beat out 13 other contestants.
``We told him when he won this beauty pageant in February that he'd have to make some public appearances, and this is one of them,'' Jones said.
Tickets for the Jamboree are $5 and available at the door Saturday.
Proceeds will benefit the public schools.
Jones said the festival committee has donated $12,000 to the three county schools' libraries.
The Corn Festival will most likely return with the more traditional fair next year.
``We thought we'd have the Jamboree because we wanted to give it a year's rest,'' Jones said.
The festival was created a few years ago as a way to pay homage to one of the county's staple crops.
``In our county, there are a lot of farmers who raise corn around here,'' Jones said.
Saturday's Jamboree will be broadcast on WKJX Kix Country. by CNB