An activity at this weekend’s Pioneer Days in Rhome brings new meaning to the idea of “betting all your chips.”

One of the new additions to the 26th Annual Pioneer Days is Cow Patty Bingo.

“We have a penned area where different numbers are marked off like a grid,” said Deborah BeCraft, a member of Rhome Parks and Recreation Board. “You get a BINGO-type card. If the cow ‘goes’ in your square, you win.

“It’s always really popular. You’ll get a gang of guys hanging around because it’s a chance to make money.”

They’ll be using 4-H show cows to provide the patties, which gives kids the chance to get their animals accustomed to crowds.

“We’ll have a rotating supply,” BeCraft said.

Cow Patty Bingo is just one of the many activities that will raise funds for the Parks and Recreation Department, which is organizing the event this year. For the first 24 years, it was a fundraiser for the fire department. Last year they decided not to do it, and the seniors group took over. This year the parks board grabbed the baton.

Vendors can start setting up in town Friday afternoon. That evening will feature a street dance with live music by Ronnie Moore and others from 7 to 10 p.m.

The rest of the festivities are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m.

That morning will be the Little Miss Pioneer pageant for girls ages 2 to 18, and the Ugly Woman Contest to feature men 40 and over. Also during the day will be a host of vendors, arts and crafts, a live blacksmith show, Wild West gunfights, an International Barbecue Cookers Association barbecue cooking contest, a bounce house, live music and more.

Rhome United Methodist Church will also have a quilt show following the parade.

Parks and Recreation Board Chairman Charles Pennington said they couldn’t have made this happen without help from the city council. They hope to continue running the event in the future and set it for a specific weekend every year in September.

He said they hope to build a splash pad at the Rhome Family Park with revenue from the event.

They are still looking for vendors, parade entries, sponsors and contestants for the Little Miss and Ugly Woman contests. For more information, call Rhome City Hall at (817) 636-2462 or BeCraft at (817) 636-2826.