Photo: Courtesy Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce
The 37th annual Bean Fest and Outhouse Races will be held Friday and Saturday in Mountain View.
The Mountain View Chamber of Commerce says the festival has proved itself one of the most exciting and outrageous around, drawing thousands for music, pinto beans and cornbread and the spectacle created by the outhouse racing teams.
Live music on the courthouse square offers a mix of folk, bluegrass, Cajun and gospel styles. Scheduled music performances take place on the courthouse stage on Friday from noon until 6. Music will resume Saturday morning at 10.
Impromptu groups will appear at all hours on the court square and adjacent lots, and area music theaters offer a variety of family entertainment in the evenings.
Early Saturday morning the fires are lit under 30 large cast iron pots loaded down with 2,000 pounds of pinto beans on the west side 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.
The north side of the court square will feature the Bean Fest Artisans Market offering handmade goods from local and regional crafters. The market will be open Friday from 11 until 6 and Saturday from 9 until 4.
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.
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.
A full schedule of events is available at Bean Fest schedule.
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