Posted on July 27, 2018

The second installment of Showdown at Sunset and the Summer Concert Series is set for Saturday, and the event will be an allday affair filled with activities, including food competitions, free horse and carriage rides, a car show and rock-and-roll concert headlined by an El Dorado native.

The activities, which are presented by Main Street El Dorado in partnership with other groups, are free and open to the public.

There is a cost to enter food and game competitions.

Grill Wars will kick off the day at 9 a.m. This month’s theme is Mac’s Tree Service “Yard Bird Throwdown,” in which teams will grill chicken leg quarters.

The cost to enter Grill Wars is $50 per team, and teams may register the day of the event, starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Main Street tent in the area Elm and Jefferson.

For an additional $15 entry fee and a chance at winning more cash prizes, teams may also prepare a “Mystery Meat,” which will be provided by Main Street.

“They won’t know what it is, but they will get it and figure out how to cook it,” Beth Brumley, Main Street executive director, said previously.

Yardbird awards are $750 for first place, $300 for second place and $150 for third place. Prizes will also be awarded for Team Spirit award, with first, second and third place winners receiving $100, $50 and $25, respectively.

For the “Mystery Meat” challenge, prizes are $150 for first place, $300 for second place and $150 for third.

Last month, 24 teams entered a sanctioned steak grill-off, with the winner, Chuck Edwards, receiving a cash prize and a bid to the Steak Cookoff Association national cookoff.

Brumley said “quite a few” interested teams have called and inquired about the Yardbird cookoff and another contest involving food preparation.

To celebrate National Ice Cream Month, which is held in July, a homemade ice cream contest is set for 4:30 p.m. Saturday on Elm Street.

The entry fee is $25, and prizes include $125, $75 and $25 to the top three winners, respectively.

Set-up for the ice cream contest is 3 p.m. and samples must be turned in for judging from 5:30 until 6 p.m.

Ice cream prepared for the contest will be served to the Showdown crowd.

The day will also include free horse and carriage rides from 3 until 7 p.m. and family-oriented games. Food vendors will also be on site.

Also on tap is a Baggo tournament, which costs $20 per contestant.

The first place winner will receive $100, two tickets to MusicFest and pit passes for the Summer Concert Series, which will be headlined this month by Jason D. Williams.

Second-place winners will receive $40 cash and SCS pit passes and $20 and SCS pit passes will go to third-place winners.

Showdown will start at 6 p.m. on the east side (Jefferson Avenue) of the Union County Courthouse and the concert series will immediately follow with a performance by Williams in the MAD Amphitheater.

Downtown retailers will also hand out pit passes to the Summer Concert Series.

Cruise Night will be held in conjunction with Showdown and the Summer Concert Series.

The event, a display of classic cars, hot-rods and other novelty automobiles, is set from 4 until 8 p.m on the west side (Washington Avenue) of the Union County Courthouse.

Showdown will start at 6 p.m. on the east side of the courthouse.

The long-running reenactment depicts a feud between the Tucker and Parnell families that resulted in a shootout on the streets of El Dorado in the early 1900s and left three men dead.

The Tuckers are antecedents of former Arkansas Gov. Jim “Guy” Tucker.

At 7 p.m., the party will move two blocks south to the Murphy Arts District Amphitheater, where Jason D. Willams will take the stage.

With legendary performers Jerry Lee Lewis and Al Jolson serving as his inspiration, Williams has become known for high-energy shows and a love of live performance.

His piano-playing style is reminiscent of Lewis, and over the years, Williams, who tours and performs more than 160 shows per year, has frequently returned to perform in his hometown.

The MAD Playscape and splash pad, which is adjacent to the amphitheater, will also be open Saturday.

For information, call the Main Street office at 870-862-4747 or the MAD office at 870-863-4547 or visit www.mainstreeteldorado.com or www.eldomad.com.

Also, visit the Main Street Facebook page.

Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com .