68th Decatur Barbecue offers games, music and lots of food

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS The 67th Decatur Barbecue concluded Aug. 7, 2021, with a fabulous fireworks display at Veterans Park. Another fireworks display is scheduled to end this year’s event, provided Benton County lifts the current burn ban before Aug. 6.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS The 67th Decatur Barbecue concluded Aug. 7, 2021, with a fabulous fireworks display at Veterans Park. Another fireworks display is scheduled to end this year’s event, provided Benton County lifts the current burn ban before Aug. 6.

DECATUR BARBECUE -- In its darkest hours of 1952, a small town in the northwest corner of Arkansas found a glimmer of hope in the form of a native businessman who had the foresight to keep the town's people motivated to stay instead of moving with the job market. One year later that pioneer, along with the help of several local businessmen, put together a festival for the townspeople to thank them for their support in pulling this small town together.

Lloyd Peterson was born and raised in Decatur and started his own poultry growing operation in 1948. Like many growers in the area, Peterson relied on the local processing plant later owned by Simmons to get his product to the public. But when Simmons closed down the Decatur operation and moved elsewhere, many of the town's residents also packed up and moved with them.

Peterson intervened and, with the help of a few of his old buddies, convinced the townspeople that a new deal was on the horizon that would bring the jobs back to Decatur. Peterson purchased that processing plant and began Peterson Industries. And, as promised, Decatur was reborn.

And, as a way of thanking the community for sticking out the tough times, Peterson organized the Decatur Homecoming Barbecue in 1953 as a way of thanking the community. This event led the Decatur Development Committee, now the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, to take over the operation of the barbecue event and the second annual Decatur Barbecue was born.

The Decatur Barbecue, with the help of Peterson, became a festival organized by the community for the residents of not only Decatur but the surrounding area in Northwest Arkansas.

The barbecue featured a parade, pageants, good food (chicken dinners) and entertainment from some of Nashville's finest country music stars. But, like all good things, interest in the barbecue began to wane, especially after the death of Peterson in October 2007 at the age of 94.

In 2019, the Decatur Barbecue was in serious danger of being

canceled for good due, in large part, to the dwindling interest in the event and the lack of volunteers to run it. But when the 67th Decatur Barbecue reemerged from the pandemic shutdown in 2021, the barbecue received new life.

When the Decatur Chamber of Commerce met in February, several of the members were trying to come up with the theme for this year's event. Eventually, the group came up with the perfect theme and one that best depicts Decatur, "Decatur, Best Little Town in Arkansas...Y'all."

In 1954, the small town of Decatur was given a high honor from the National Municipal League at its convention in Kansas City, Mo. David Compton, who was the chamber president at the time, made a speech about the town of Decatur at that convention, then the league voted Decatur the best little town under 1,000, the smallest community to win an award during the convention. Decatur was featured in the February 1955 issue of LOOK magazine. Sixty-nine years later, Decatur is still viewed by many as the best little community in Northwest Arkansas.

This year's event features some of the original elements of the early barbecue, like the parade, the Miss Decatur Barbecue and Tiny Tots pageants, as well as some of the more recent additions such as the cornhole tournament.

68th Decatur Barbecue fun begins Aug. 6 at 7 a.m. and will be nonstop throughout the day, concluding with the concert and a fantastic fireworks display afterward. And, of course, do not forget to check out the star of the barbecue, the chicken. Service for the chicken dinners begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until every last quarter is sold.

For more information, contact Kim or Debbie at 479-752-3912, option 4.

NOTE: A special thank you goes out to Kim Wilkins and the members of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce for all their hard work in organizing and executing the 68th Decatur Barbecue festival.