07 Feb 2024 Beast Feast planned for Saturday, tickets available

CONWAY — Beast Feast, the annual sportsman banquet hosted by Second Baptist Church’s Men’s Ministry, is planned for this Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Conway Expo Center and Fairgrounds, 2501 East Oak St. The event includes an outdoor exhibit from 2 to 5 p.m. in the covered barn, a live band, dinner and a speaker will begin at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at eventbrite.com or by calling the church at 501.327.6565.

The event started in 2002 and is held each winter for men and boys of all ages. “It is a night filled with games, entertainment, prizes, live music, great food and great speakers,” said Daniel Hollinger, chairman of Beast Feast. “The purpose of the event is to share the gospel message. We have about 2,500 people who come every year. It builds friendship and camaraderie.”

Everyone who buys a ticket is eligible for prizes. If you bring a non-perishable item, you will be entered for two special prizes. Food items that are collected will be donated to a local food pantry.

Beast Feast is not a fundraiser; it is an outreach made possible by sponsors and volunteers, and ticket sales cover only about one-third to one-half of the total event costs, according to Hollinger.

“If you know a gentleman or young man who would truly enjoy and benefit from attending with us, make plans now to bring him,” Hollinger said. “We would love to see you all.”

This year’s speaker is Hank Parker, who is known as one of America’s best-known fishing personalities and is the host of one of the longest-running fishing shows on TV, “Hank Parker’s Outdoor Magazine.” Additionally, his “On the Water with Hank Parker” airs on Pursuit Channel and Sportsman Channel. Parker first rose to notoriety for his success as a professional bass fisherman when he won the National Bass Association Tournament Circuit title in his first year of competition in 1976. Soon thereafter, Parker started competing in Bass Anglers Sportsmen’s Society (B.A.S.S.) tournaments and twice won the most prestigious bass tournament in the world, the Bassmaster Classic, in 1979 and 1989.

Parker became the first angler to win the Bassmaster Classic, B.A.S.S. Super Bass Tournament and be named B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year. He became a member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2003 and was inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame in 2006 and the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Hall of Fame in 2014. Parker is also an avid hunter and created several shows around the sport, including “Hank Parker’s Flesh and Blood,” “Hank Parker 3D” and “Hunt Like a Parker.” A devout Christian, Parker is a popular speaker and has shared his testimony at hundreds of faith-based events around the country, including church functions, beast feasts and other outdoor-related functions.