Volunteer Harold Brouse stirs a large kettle of bean soup during a recent McClure Bean Soup Festival and Fair in McClure.

McCLURE – While the entertainers and the events have changed over the years of the McClure Bean Soup Festival and Fair, the star of the show has remained the same.

The 134th edition, which opens Sunday and runs through Saturday, Sept. 13, features agricultural exhibits, rides, food stands and live entertainment. But what fairgoers long to taste is the fair’s famous faire.

“The bean soup, of course,” quipped Kate Reed, pageant coordinator for this year’s Bean Soup Fair and Festival.

“It’s wonderful, and you can’t get it anywhere else,” Reed added.

All week long, workers display a labor of love, making the bean soup over an open fire, stirring it constantly. It’s served daily at the fair, starting at noon Sunday.

Between the pageant on Sunday, free rides on Monday, parade on Tuesday, musical groups and a number of games and contests for kids and adults, the fair provides fun and entertainment all week.

“It’s a lot of good friends and good food,” Reed said. “There’s plenty of stuff for everyone of all ages to do.”

The amusement rides, exhibits, concessions and entertainment will be a constant Monday through Sept. 13. The concessions open at 4:30 p.m., with the amusement rides following at 5 p.m. and bingo at 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday. On Saturday, concessions open at noon with rides opening at 4:30 p.m. and bingo at 6 p.m.

This year nine pageant contestants will vie for titles during the 20th Annual McClure Bean Soup Fair Pageant: Baby Bean for ages 2 to 4; Teeny Bean for ages 5 to 7; Little Miss Bean for ages 8 to 11; Fair Princess for ages 12 to 15; and Fair Queen for ages 16 to 20.

“My biggest dream was to always be the queen and be able to show all the other girls and the community how fun and amazing the pageant program really is,” said 2024 McClure Bean Soup Queen Caleigh Smith on the fair’s website. Sunday is billed as Pageant Day at the fair.

“I love interacting with others and being able to share all my amazing memories and incredible opportunities I got as the Bean Soup Fair Queen,” Smith added. “My time as the McClure Bean Soup Fair Queen was by far my best experience.”

Besides the pageant, the bean soup’s opening ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday. There will also be a vesper service at 10 a.m. and parking on Sunday is free.

Monday is Family Day, which features $5 wristbands for rides from 6 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday is Parade Day with the annual parade at 6 p.m. and parade winners announced at the stage at 8 p.m.

Wednesday highlights Senior Citizens Day with anyone age 62 and older being able to buy a bowl of bean soup for half price. A milk chugging contest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and free ice cream at 7 p.m. The live entertainment slate also opens with the Mahoney Brothers performing at 7 and 8:30 p.m. on the main stage.

On Thursday, Veteran’s Day’s main attraction is Why Not Me with shows at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Wristbands will also be buy-one, get-one free. Facepainting will also be held.

Youth Day takes center stage on Friday as all students get one bowl of bean soup at half price. There’s also a cornhole tournament at 6:30 p.m. The live entertainment starts with Little Rock at 7 p.m. and follows with Ricochet at 8:30 p.m.

Homecoming Day is Saturday as Ole 97 presents its Johnny Cash and June Carter Tribute show at 2:30 and 4 p.m. That’s followed by Green River at 7 and 9 p.m. A homemade ice cream contest is set for the Fair Pavilion at 6 p.m.

McClure Bean Soup Fair President Sandra Fisher praised the volunteers who bring the fair together every year.

“As always, our fair would not continue to grow without the many hours that our valuable volunteers give to us every year,” Fisher said.

“Our fair officers and committee members contribute many volunteer hours and many fundraiser events to continue the progress of our fair,” Fisher added. “You will find our volunteers in the exhibit hall, food stand, souvenir stand, cake wheel, bingo stand and many other areas of our fair.”

And selling that famous bean soup. Adam Ewig, who serves on the bean soup’s board of directors, said the goal this year is to sell 40 kettles worth during the fair.

“We average between 35 to 40 for the week,” Ewig said.

The most recent bean soup recipe on the McClure Bean Soup website lists the ingredients of the soup as “25 pounds of beans, 15 pounds of (ground) beef, six pounds of suet and a handful of salt.”