A hint of autumn in the air means outhouse racers are being constructed and bean and cornbread recipes perfected for the Arkansas Bean Fest and Great Arkansas Championship Outhouse Race, to be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 25th - 27th, 2007 in Mountain View.

Through the year, the festival has proved itself one of the most exciting and outrageous around, drawing thousands to the small Ozarks town for music, free pinto beans and cornbread, and the spectacle created by the outhouse racing teams.

The festival begins innocently enough with music on the courtsquare, that will offer a mix of folk, bluegrass, Cajun and gospel styles, a tradition that has distinguished Mountain View for decades.  Scheduled performances on the courthouse stage on Thursday from 11 am until 5 pm with a "1st Annual Beanie Weenie" Dog Show from 5 pm until ??  All dogs from the highest of Heinz 57 pedigree to the registered pedigrees are welcome to attend. Applications can be attained at the Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce.  Entry fee is $5. 

Friday will also offer a mix of folk, bluegrass, Cajun and gospel styles of music beginning at 11 am to 4 pm.  Impromptu groups, as always, will appear at all hours on the court square and adjacent lots.

Early Saturday morning the fires are lit under about 35-40 large antique cast iron pots loaded down with 1500 lbs. of Great Value pinto beans donated by Trinadad on the north and west sides of the court square. The festival theme becomes apparent in the costumes and displays of the cooking teams, who sometimes dress as clowns or ghouls to compete for the title of Best Beans.

By mid-morning, the aroma from the simmering beans fills the air and visitors are drawn to the cooking area to await the noon dinner bell, when cups of beans are served with cornbread! (Take out “ and onion, all for free” here) Lucky ones may receive a piece of cornbread from the pan of the winning recipe in the Martha White sponsored Cornbread Cook-off.

Things step up a notch with the Parade of Outhouses around 1 p.m. The crowd gathers to cheer for their favorite “people powered potty” team of driver and pushers. The wheeled outhouses are outfitted with a steering device for the driver (while sitting on a potty seat), with power provided by two pushers. Teams get into the spirit by dressing in costumes to fit the theme of their privy.

All sense of decorum is abandoned as the racers line up and run in heats on Jefferson Street south of the court square to determine the fastest privy in the Ozarks. Teams compete for the revered Gold, Silver and Bronze potty seat awards and cash prizes.

In conjunction with the main activities, other fun things to explore and do in Mountain View include: crafts and merchandise for sale along Main Street, indoor music shows, old-fashioned children's games, square dancing and a talent contest (sponsored by KWOZ 103) later in the afternoon. The Ozark Folk Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for visitors to watch local crafters work and listen to more musicians. Free shuttle service will be available from the Ozark Folk Center to the Court Square from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, and visitors are encouraged to park at the Ozark Folk Center and ride the shuttle downtown. Blanchard Springs Caverns will also be open for those who love to see "underground" beauty. For those wanting to experience a refreshing fall day, The Syllamo Bike Trail is open for biking or hiking.

For more information call the Mountain View Chamber toll-free at 888-679-2859.

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