The Evans County Wildlife Club’s 46th annual Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival will be Saturday and Sunday in the Claxton-Evans Industrial Park in Hagan near Claxton.
The weekend’s schedule kicks off with a beauty pageant at 7 p.m. Friday at the Wildlife Club. Miss Georgia Leighton Jordon will help crown the winner Saturday afternoon at the festival.
Festival gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday and at 10 a.m. Sunday. Admission is $6 per person ages 6 and older and free for ages 5 and younger. Parking is free. There will be arts and crafts booths, food vendors, snake-handling demonstrations, a zip line and more. A parade through downtown Claxton starts at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Brian Staples Safari will provide exotic animal shows and petting zoos featuring lions, tigers and monkeys. Camels and pony rides will be available. There also will be Native American artifacts, a kids’ bass fishing rodeo, a 3-D archery tournament, a birds of prey demonstration and exhibits from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Jacksonville Zoo. The Brian Staples Safari Zoo Animal Magic Show is set for 7 p.m. Saturday in a tent.
Admission to the interactive show is $5 for adults and free for children 5 and younger. A $3 discount is offered to those who have hand stamps from the festival.
For more information, go to www.evanscountywildlifeclub.com or call 912-739-3820.