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Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans -
Stew contest draws 7,500 fans
| Sulphur Springs
Alvin (left) and Sarah Hillis dish up some tasty stew in the early hours on Saturday at the 53rd Annual Hopkins County Stew Festival. The Hillis team was sponsored by East Texas Physical Therapy. Staff photo by Don Wallace FIRST PLACE- Super Beef Stew Winner was team #123 Brent Williams and Mariam Williams sponsored by Bulkley Trucking. The $500 prize money was provided by Sulphur Springs Nottingham Dodge. Their winning quart was purchased for $900 by Interstate Body Shop. WINNING MIX — The Super Chicken Stew Winner was the team of Kylie Smith and Katie Brown, sponsored by Financial Solutions. Their prize money of $500 was provided by GDC Industrial. Staff photos by Don Wallace The cooks at Site 106 are long-time friends of mine. Cheyenne is married to Jay Thompson, and her dad was John Chester, whom the Super Campsite award is named for. Carrying on a fine tradition, Cheyenne and Jay have also won stew awards. Back in the day, Johnny would not only set up an extensive camp over on the old grounds, ‘across the creek’, but he was the first cook to organize a Friday night feature, informal of course. Johnny loved people, and he liked to cook outdoors, because it was a family tradition. He even traveled and cooked across the state on the Texas Sesquicentennial Wagon Train! When you were in his camp, there was going to be laughter and fun and some well-seasoned stories told. I am certainly not alone in missing the unique pioneer spirit that marked the Stew contests of the 1990’s. Staff photos by Enola Gay Mathews Sam Tatum, father of Sheriff Lewis Tatum, never misses a stew contest. Keeping up an old time tradition, the Hopkins County Sheriff's Department has been sponsoring and cooking chicken stew since 1997. Chief Deputy Tanner Crump and wife Ashley volunteer along with many other staffers. One thing about Stew Day in Hopkins County, you never know who you'll see. There's a magnetism about the event that draws people in from the far reaches of the county. I ran into a couple of old friends, Quentin Suttle and Johnny McAfee. Among the cooking sites on the South side of the stew grounds, Jan Chapman and her daughter Victoria Boatman were stirring a pot. I couldn't help but notice Jan's vintage 1982 Stew Contest apron! There's some really great cooks over on the South side where the Stew Market is, so be sure and include them on your rounds next year. Wesley Crist carries the family tradition for his parents Wendell and Myra Crist. Wesley's brothers Rodney and Nathan Crist also cook for sponsor Wyatt's Towing and Recovery. Gary Turner, longtime saddlemaker in Hopkins County. He's wearing leather leggings he made, decorated with porcupine quills and beadwork. Gary enjoys being part of the decor at the Gibbins stew site, and seeing old friends.
Wind doesn't stop the show
It was my first in-person stop at the stew festival and I was certainly impressed.
The 53rd Annual Hopkins County Stew Festival was a roaring success, drawing more than 7,500 people to the event held at Buford Park.
Texas weather made its mark on the event. It wasn't too cold or hot or even wet, but it was windy. My phone weather app said the wind was averaging about 23 mph. Not enough to cause damage, but it was annoying when you are walking around carrying an open bowl of food.
The hospitality at the event was second-to-none. I wandered in off the parking lot and started asking strangers questions about seasoning, fire temperatures and the pros and cons of chicken vs. beef, and found lots of friends. All with their own cooking techniques and tips to make the best stew in the county. Soon, we were not strangers. I was hearing about oak as the best hardwood to cook with and one group from Central Baptist Church claimed to be the old stew that had been prayed over.
It was great to meet and rub elbows with these fine representatives of the county. If you don't want to read my ramblings, below is the list of winners directly from the expert, Hopkins County President Butch Burney who toiled over the event with his staff for months.
The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate the 2022 winners of the 53rd Annual World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest, presented by Alliance Bank: Campsite and costume winner this year was site #202 Rebecca Loper and Linda Goss, Sponsored by: Bob Evans Farms, Their $200 prize was provided by: Sulphur Springs Nottingham Dodge.
The John Chester Award for Super Campsite winner was site #210 Juan and Ashley Ortiz, Sponsored by: The Rustic O, Their $250 prize was provided by: Sulphur Springs Nottingham Dodge.
Tailgate Appetizer Contest third place was site #126 Trey Clark and Drew Smith, Sponsored by: Safety Control. Their $75 prize was provided by Natalie’s Food Mart.
Second place in the Tailgate Appetizer Contest was site #30 Jim Teetes and Luke Kerby, Sponsored by: Cross Country Communications.
Their $100 prize was provided by AK Gillis and Son. First place in the Tailgate Appetizer Contest was site #13 Debbie White and Ann Tanton, Sponsored by: Hopkins-Rains County Farm Bureau, their $200 prize was provided by City National Bank. Honorable Mention: Beef Stew: # 478 David Slaughter and Josh Hill, sponsored by: Slaughters BBQ. Third place beef stew winner was the team of # 31 Betty Edwards and Dustin Edwards, Sponsored by: Greenhill Villas and Mount Pleasant and Curray-Welbourn Funeral Home.
Their $100 prize money was provided by Super Handy Convenience Stores, their third-place stew was purchased for $250 by Texas Heritage National Bank.
Second place beef stew winner was the team of # 89 Greg Cravens and Stacy Cravens Sponsored by: Ocean Spray, their $150 prize money was provided by Texas Modern Gastroenterology, their second-place stew was purchased for $ 450 by Essential Business Solutions. First place beef stew winner was the team of # 477 Kelly Perry and Colton Williams, Sponsored by: EMC Hauling Co., their $300 prize money was provided by Texas Modern Gastroenterology, their first-place stew was purchased for $600 by Republic Services.
Honorable Mention: Chicken Stew: #213 Jo Lawson and Joretta Lawson, Sponsored by: Nor-Tex, Tractor, third place chicken winner was the team of #211 Kristen Richmond and Charlie Usry, ponsored by: Discount Wheel and Tire of Sulphur Springs, their prize money of $100 was provided by Super Handy Convenience Stores, their third-place stew was purchased for $250 by Texas Heritage National Bank.
Second place chicken stew winner was the team of #21 Cole Burnett and Benny Darlin, Sponsored by: Hootens Hardware, their prize money of $150 was provided by Texas Modern Gastroenterology, Their second-place chicken stew was purchased for $450 by Essential Business Solutions. First place chicken stew winner was the team of #14 Brent Tanton and Kallie Tanton, Sponsored by: CPI Technologies, their prize money of $300 was provided by Sulphur Springs Nottingham Dodge, their first-place chicken stew was purchased for $600 by Atmos Energy. Honorable Mention: Super Stew Beef: #468 Garrett Glass and Laura Glass, Sponsored by: Guaranty Bank and Trust, third place Super Stew Beef award was won by # 15 John Wilburn and Rudy Ellis, Sponsored by: Simply Eventful Wedding Planning, their prize money of $100 was sponsored by Jiffy Sign, their third-place Super Stew Beef was purchased for $300 by Jiffy Signs. Second place Super Stew Beef award was won by # 52A Joe Wallace and Craig Hale, Sponsored by: Saputo, their prize money of $250 was sponsored by the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram.
The second-place Super Stew Beef was purchased for $500 by Oncor Electric Delivery.
First Place Super Stew Beef winner was the team of #123 Brent Williams and Mariam Williams, Sponsored by: Bulkley Trucking.
Their prize money of $500 was provided by Sulphur Springs Nottingham Dodge, their winning quart of Super Stew Beef was purchased for $900 by Interstate Body Shop.
Honorable Mention: Super Stew Chicken: #138 Dale Owens and Marci Owens, Sponsored by: SSHS Class of 1978.
Third place Super Stew Chicken award was won by # 29 Nancy Fite and Larry Fite, Sponsored by: Berry Appraisal, their prize money of $100 was sponsored by Heath Hyde, Attorney.
Their third-place Super Stew Chicken was purchased for $300 by One Church.
Second place Super Stew Chicken award was won by #125 Lawana Hohenberger and Broc Hohenberger, sponsored by: Bulkley Trucking, their prize money of $250 was sponsored by the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram.
The second-place Super Stew Chicken was purchased for $500 by One Church.
First Place Super Stew Chicken winner was the team of #484 Kylie Smith and Katie Brown, Sponsored by: Financial Solutions, their prize money of $500 was provided by GDC Industrial, their winning quart of Super Stew Chicken was purchased for $900 by Clayton Homes. Burney said, 'We would also like to thank the following sponsors who provided products for the contest: Alliance Bank – Title Sponsor Bob Evans Foods – Friday night Sponsor Our service tents were generously provided today by: ProSlab Foundation Repair, Hopkins County Dental; CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs and Coldwell Banker Watson Company.
Our other sponsors that we couldn’t live without are: Alliance Bank – Title Sponsor Bob Evans Foods – Friday night Sponsor Our service tents were generously provided today
by: ProSlab Foundation Repair Hopkins County Dental CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs Coldwell Banker Watson Company Finally, thank you to all of our volunteers today!
Blue Blazes, HOSA, Hopkins County High School Leadership Class, Sulphur Bluff Beta Club, HKK volunteers, Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Ambassadors.