Albertson's annual Stew Fest gets the town cookin'
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on November 5, 2017 3:05 AM
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Cindy Grady and LaDonna Williams prepare samples of Pleasant View Presbyterian's Pilgrim stew made out of turkey and root vegetables Saturday during the annual Albertson Stew Fest.
Full Size
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Dennis and Linda Stevens get a bowl of one of over a dozen stews during this year's Stew Fest in Albertson Saturday.
Community members came together in Duplin County Saturday, as the Albertson Community Library held its annual Stew Fest event.
Beginning in 2004, Stew Fest has become a local tradition for Albertson. The event serves as a fundraiser for the library, which subsists entirely off of donations and grant money, said event coordinator Sue Smith.
"This event is very valuable to us, and we encourage anyone who would like to volunteer to do so," she said. "We're very blessed."
Volunteers and Stew Fest attendees walked between tents around the perimeter of the area, where the 12 volunteer stew cooking teams were set up. The stews ran the gamut, from tomato-based brews to spicy concoctions and more.
One particularly interesting option was the "Pilgrim Stew," made by Johnny Pickett and the Pleasant View Presbyterian Church. Dressed in pilgrim-themed clothing, the team had cooked up a turkey stew full of root vegetables to emulate what pilgrims might have eaten during their early days in America.
Pickett said he missed the first Stew Fest, but has been to every one past that and has competed in most of those. During that time, he and his team have cooked "a little bit of everything," he said, and have seen the community come out to support their local library.
"People always have a really good time out here, and it's a fundraiser for the library because they don't get funds from the library system," he said. "Everybody really loves it. It's really good to see folks have something in the community that they can come together for and get excited about."
Smith, who woke up at 4 a.m. Saturday to begin working, said that the event began in full as soon as the daylight came in. Those in attendance would get the chance to taste every stew, and then vote for their favorites at a booth in the center of the area.
There was also a panel of judges who would pick their favorite, Smith said. The winners would receive trophies.