Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

PLAINS — On Saturday, Small Town Big Deal, a popular entertainment show televised to a national audience as well as U.S. troops abroad, will highlight Plains when it films a segment for an upcoming show on the Peanut Festival. This year marks the 23^rd annual Plains Peanut Festival in the hometown of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter. The event highlights the harvest of its cash crop, peanuts, which has big potential across the globe by providing a sustainable and nutritious product and fighting malnutrition. Georgia leads the nation in annual peanut production, accounting for nearly half of all the peanuts grown in the United States.

See box for schedule of events on Saturday in downtown Plains.

With over one million viewers weekly, Small Town Big Deal is hosted by TV stars Rodney Miller, who has a farm in Ocilla, and Jann Carl. Their show travels the country highlighting interesting people, communities and events in celebration of the countless great stories of America.

“We look for stories that fill us with pride, give us hope, make us laugh and remind us that national treasures are often found where we least expect them,” said co-host Jann Carl, formerly with Entertainment Tonight. “That’s why we decided to showcase the Peanut Festival.”

A lifelong farmer, Miller is also a former CEO with national tractor manufacturer McCormick International. Carl is a former correspondent and weekend anchor for Entertainment Tonight.

Small Town Big Deal premiered in September 2012, on cable station RFD-TV, where it airs at 9:30 p.m. EST on Thursdays and at 1:30/12:30 a.m. EST on Fridays.

Today, the show now appears in syndication on more than 170 local stations in over 87 percent of U.S. television markets, including such leading TV stations as ABC in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Atlanta, and CBS in Los Angeles. It is also broadcast on the Armed Forces Network for viewing at U.S. military bases across the world.

Learn more at the show at www.smalltownbigdeal.com, on Facebook www.facebook.com/smalltownbigdeal and YouTube (youtube.com/smalltownbigdeal).

 

23rd annual Plains Peanut Festival

Saturday, Sept. 28

8 a.m.  —  One-Mile Fun Run followed by a 5K road race. Mr. Peanut will be cheering on the runners in the Fun Run. Additional festivities throughout the day include free entertainment, historical and educational displays, food vendors, as well as arts and crafts booths.

9 a.m. — The Peanut Institute, National Peanut Board, American Peanut Shellers Association, Georgia Peanut Commission, Planters, Jif, National Peanut Buying Points Association, Mars, and Hampton Farms will display exhibits in the Planters Peanut Pavilion.

Parade —  11 a.m. with Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black as Grand Marshal. As a special highlight of this year’s festival, Black will ride in a Ford factory custom Lincoln Continental that was driven by the U.S. Secret Service in President Carter’s Inaugural Parade.

All day — SAM Shortline will have train rides and the Carters will be signing books.

7:30 p.m. — Street dance featuring Slaughter Creek

For more information visit the official website of the Plains Peanut Festival at www.plainsgeorgia.com.