The 20th annual Peanut Butter Festival in Brundidge on Saturday brought people from every nook and corner of the county and beyond.

Lawrence Bowden, president of the sponsoring Brundidge Historical Society, said the crowd was estimated at around 6,000.

“We don’t know really know how many people were there because the town was packed from early morning until the late afternoon,” Bowden said. “Some people came and stayed just about all day. Others came and went and some left and came back.

“Our hopes are that everybody had a good time. That’s what the Peanut Butter Festival is all about, bringing the people together in the spirit of community. It was a good day in Brundidge.”

Bowden expressed appreciation to the many who worked to make the Peanut Butter Festival such a great success.

“There is no way to name everyone who was a part of the 20th Peanut Butter Festival,” he said. “It is said that it takes a village to raise a child and I say that it takes a village to put on a Peanut Butter Festival.

“On behalf of the Brundidge Historical Society, I want to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the 20th Annual Peanut Butter Festival and to all of those who came and celebrated the harvest season with us.”

The Peanut Butter Festival unofficially gets underway when the rooster crows and the “runners” get out of the gates of the 5K Peanut Butter Run.

“We had a very good turnout for the 5K run with 44 “runners” and some “goobers,” said Dixie Shehane, who coordinated the run for the sponsoring Troy Bank & Trust Company. “It was a rather chilly but we clocked some good times and I think everyone had a good time,” she said. “The overall winner of the Peanut Butter 5K Run Trophy was Jason Gerard. The trophy was designed by Brundidge artist and sculptor Larry Godwin and the only way to get one of those trophies is to outrun everybody else in the 5K Peanut Butter Run, so it’s really special.”

The winners in the age divisions were: Men, to age 19, Bryan Carter, first, and Justin Carter, second; ages 20-29, Jeremy Burkett, first, and Jason Currie, second; ages 30-39, Trey Lawless, first, and Jason Jones, second; 40-49, Jason Gerard, first, Lee Outlaw, second; ages 50-59, Theron Carter, first, and Ken Williams, second; and ages 60 and over, Robert Lee, first, and Winston Howell, second.

In the women’s divisions, the winner were, ages through 19, Ashley Carter, first, and Emily Price, second; 20-29 Holly Pugh, first, and Carmen Hamm, second; ages 30-39, Neana Fountain, first, and Kristy Jones, second; ages, 40-49, Jessica Gerard, first, and Angie Westburg, second; ages 50-59, Julie Thomas, first, and Linda Faust, second; and over 60, Jo Ann Shiver, first.

The annual Peanut Butter Recipe Contest also attracted a large number of participants including youth and adults.

Delatha Mobley, a member of the sponsoring Brundidge Study Club, said the number of participants increased over last year and the entries were extra delicious.

“The judges don’t know who submitted the entries so it’s possible for one person to win in more than one category,” Mobley said. “And, that sometimes happens and it happens often when Debbie Headley enters several categories. This year, Debbie won the cookies, cakes and pies categories in the adult division. Jennifer (Stanley) Garret won the candy category and Tammy Kay Hetrick won the ‘others’ category.”

In the youth division, Emily Walker won the candy category. April Garrett was the winner of the cookies category. Elisa-Kay Culpepper was the top pie-baker and Andrew Singleton baked the number one cake. Katlyn Hughes topped the ‘others’ division.

Shehane and Mobley expressed appreciation to all of those who competed in the Peanut Butter Festival open events.

“These events add a lot of interest to the Festival and give people with different interest opportunities to compete and have fun while supporting our longstanding festival that honors the town’s peanut butter heritage and our agricultural community,” Shehane said.