BRIGHTON - This weekend, Riverbend residents are invited to the Village of Brighton for the 118th annual Betsey Ann Picnic.

On June 13 and 14, 2025, community members will gather at Betsey Ann Park in Brighton to enjoy carnival rides, games, bingo, vendors, live music and Brighton’s famous burgoo soup. Darin Werts, who helps organize the event, noted that the picnic is a hometown tradition he’s proud to carry on.

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“It’s just a tradition that you can’t let go,” he said. “It’s a lot of work, but then again, it’s a lot of fun when it’s happening, so we just keep the tradition going the best we can. We’ve got a good group of people that put it together. It’s just one of those things you’ve got to do.”

The fun starts at 4 p.m. on Friday with vendors, followed by hot food from 4:30–10 p.m. Little Egypt Shows & Carnival will open from 6–11 p.m. both nights, with rides and games for people of all ages to enjoy. Flip the Frog will perform from 7–11 p.m. in the Beer Garden.

On Saturday, the Brighton Boy Scouts and Brighton Park Committee will serve food from 12–10 p.m., and vendors can set up starting at 1 p.m. There is some additional fun for kids, with a mini train ride and a museum tour available for free from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kids ages 8 and younger can also enjoy free kiddie carnival rides from 12–3 p.m. on June 14, and Uno the Mini Horse will be at the park until 3 p.m.

The Little Miss and Mr. Betsey Ann Pageant starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, and the carnival reopens at 6 p.m. The Tracy Inman Band will take the stage from 7–11 p.m. that night.

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Attendees can enjoy white fish, river fish, catfish, chicken, barbecue pork steaks and more. Most famously, the burgoo soup — a combination of brisket, turkey, pork, beans, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and spices — draws a large crowd. Werts said they are currently in the process of preparing the soup, with plans to brew around 700 gallons before the weekend is over.

“There are guys up there today cutting meat and getting that ready,” Werts said. “It’s quite a process to make the soup, but everybody seems to like it. Last year, I had a guy that was 93 who drove two hours, and that was his sole purpose, to come and get a couple of gallons of burgoo.”

Werts reminds people that parking is free, and he encourages folks to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the music.

He noted that Betsey Ann Park is a private park, so the proceeds from the Betsey Ann Picnic go toward its maintenance. At the end of the year, any leftover funds will be donated to local organizations like Brighton’s food pantry and Pack-a-Sack program.

Werts and his co-organizers believe both evenings will be a lot of fun. They’re proud to offer the 118th annual Betsey Ann Picnic, and they hope to draw big crowds for two great nights.

“I remember as a kid on that Monday when the carnival people start pulling in and all the kids get excited,” he said. “I got into it helping some of the older guys, and now I’m kind of turning into one of the older guys. But it’s exciting…We’ll roll with it and have a good time.”

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