33rd Annual Oatmeal Festival — September 3 & 4, 2011 — Bertram, Texas (near to Oatmeal, Texas)
This festival began in 1978 as a spoof of the many chili festivals in Texas.
The Oatmeal Festival, however, is different than chili festivals. At chili festivals they eat hot peppers; at the Oatmeal festival they eat boiled okra. Chili festivals have beauty queens; the Oatmeal Festival has Ms. Bag (over 55), Miss Cookie (4 years old), Miss Muffin (8 years old), and Groaty Oat (beyond description).
Another reason the festival was started was to put Oatmeal, Texas back on the map. Oatmeal is 5.6 miles from Bertram; the towns are good friends. Mapmakers making a map of Texas made in the 1970s decided to leave Oatmeal off the map because Oatmeal was not on a highway. This upset not only the folks of Oatmeal but the folks of the entire area as well.
The Oatmeal Festival has a pet parade and a regular parade with floats from nearly towns, businesses, Shriners, and, if an election year, political candidates.
There will be a BBQ. Not only oatmeal but also pinto beans, potato salad, coleslaw, onions, bread, iced tea, desserts — a typical Texas feast.
