CONWAY — Jamie Jackman spent most of Sunday walking around Conway’s Festival of the Hills with her 3-month-old baby, Elliot, strapped to her in his carrier. However, for a few minutes she passed Elliot off to a family member so she could participate in the festival’s main event, the skillet toss.
Jackman ended up winning the women’s portion of the event, which wasn’t surprising for the new mother. She had a few things in her favor: she had won the event previously, her dad runs the event every year, and she’s a former Conway track and field shotput thrower.
“The big question in town was, ‘Is Jamie throwing?’” Jamie’s father, Jimmy Recore, the event organizer, said.
Jackman was one of about 40 adults who participated in the event, most of whom were not newcomers, but instead passionate returners. This year’s prize given by the festival was a cast iron cookbook, but the reason people come back year after year has more to do with trying to reclaim a lost title and earn the bragging rights that come with it.
The men’s winner, Joe Swartz, had previously won four other times, but had lost last year and regained his title this year.
About 100 people watching the event and cheering on the contestants. Recore, who has hosted the event for more than 10 years, said many of those who participate take it seriously, but it doesn’t stop them from having a good time.
“In the past we’ve been accused of having a skillet training facility at our house,” Recore joked.
Event organizers agreed that the scores were lower overall than most years, mostly likely because participants were using caution with the slippery ground from the drizzly weather earlier in the day.
None of the festival and event organizers could remember how the event started or why, but only that it had been happening for a very long time. While the event is only open to those 18 or older for safety reasons, it brings together community members of all ages. More than one child nodded enthusiastically when asked if they’d be returning to toss someday.
“You see me holding my grandson? He got a skillet for Christmas,” Recore said, teasing one of the participants.
This is the 55th year for the festival, and comes ahead of the town’s 250th anniversary, in summer 2017.
Sue MacDonald, another event organizer said it had been a successful weekend overall for the festival. This year, it returned to the town center, after two years at the Conway Grammar school while the baseball field was being renovated.
Michelle Harris, who has been volunteering with the festival for about ten years and spent several years in charge of the operation, said the skillet toss fits nicely with what they aim to accomplish with the festival.