CAMDEN — Camden will host the 35th annual Black Walnut Festival this weekend, Saturday, Oct. 21-Sunday, Oct. 22.

In a press release issued last week the Camden Comeback Committee said this year’s festival slogan says it all: “Nuts Welcome!”

“This is Camden Comeback’s third year as organizers of the event and we feel like we now have a great handle on it,” Donna Cross, President of Camden Comeback, said in the release. “We sold out of 160 vendor spaces again this year in May. We just keep getting better and word has spread quickly.”

The Black Walnut Festival begins at 9 a.m. both days with all festival-goer favorites returning, “including 125 great vendors, the parade (starting at 10 a.m. Saturday,) the car/truck show (11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday,) live entertainment both days (in two venues,) a beer and wine garden, the popular Kid Zone, 50/50 and gift basket raffles and, of course, walnut sales,” the release noted.

“The Village of Camden partners with us to offer the Kid Zone which will have bounce houses, barrel train rides, kiddie tractor pull, facing painting, balloon artists, corn hole, art show, yard games and more,” Cross added. “Thanks to our generous donors, the festival, entertainment, kid zone activities and parking are all free.”

Food lovers will also have fantastic options, according to Camden Comeback. “Most of our food vendors are returning this year and we worked hard to recruit a few new ones as well. We’ll have 25 food trucks selling just about anything your stomach desires,” the release noted.

Food options include burgers and hot dogs, steak sandwiches, Greek gyros, BBQ pork and chicken, fish dinners, loaded potatoes, pork chop dinners, pizza, sugar waffles, funnel cakes, kettle corn, lemonade shake-ups, shaved ice, pumpkin rolls, cheesecake, coffees “and our very own Camden Family Lions Club’s famous hand-cranked ice cream. And yes, they offer black walnut ice cream too,” the release continued.

In addition, Camden Comeback will offer its popular, annual Haunted Camden Tours at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on both Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21. The wagon journey begins at the Town Hall and weaves through Camden (including the cemetery) where riders will hear tales of Camden’s local legends, haunted history, ghostly sightings and strange happenings. Cost is $20 and proceeds go to the Preble Shawnee Theater Club.

Festival hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., both days, with a community concert featuring The Caitlin Davis Band until 6:30 p.m. in Shank Park on Saturday.

Additional information, highlights for some of the vendors, food trucks and entertainment, and a detailed schedule of events at www.facebook.com/CamdenBlackWalnutFestival. A schedule can also be found inside this edition of The Register-Herald.

Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowenjr.