Cereal Fest by the numbers: Saturday marks return of celebration of city's breakfast heritage
Pallets of cereal boxes are stacked inside Kellogg Arena in preparation for Saturday's Cereal Fest.
For the first time in more than two years, the traditional breakfast staple will be served to thousands in downtown Battle Creek, marking the return of one of the city's signature events.
Kelly Walden, sales and marketing manager at Kellogg Arena, the organizer of Cereal Fest, said McCamly Street will be full of food, music and activities for the entire family to enjoy when the festival makes its triumphant return following a two-year pause due to the pandemic.
"It's celebrating our history and heritage as the birthplace of the cereal industry," Walden said. "What is so fun about this event is you can come here and start at one end, make your way down Hamblin (Avenue) and McCamly (Street), see the kids activities, get a bowl of cereal, stop and get a slushy, then hit the live music or dancers, keep going and you'll hit kids games, then bounce houses, face paint and a train ride... And you can always pick up another bowl of cereal."
Cereal Fest will take place along McCamly Street and at Festival Market Square, beginning at 8 a.m. Varieties of cereal, Pop-Tarts, apple juice and orange juice will be served until 11 a.m., with live music and activities happening until noon.
Here is a breakdown of Cereal Fest, by the numbers:
0: Dollars needed
Thanks to event sponsors such as the Battle Creek-based Kellogg Co. and Post Consumer Brands, volunteers will be dishing out bowls of cereal at no cost to all in attendance. There will also be giveaways and prizes, including toys an keepsakes from previous Cereal Festivals, as well as live entertainment.
Parking downtown shouldn't be hassle; it's free for the day.
66: Years since first 'World's Longest Breakfast Table'
The first Cereal Festival was the brainchild of former Battle Creek Enquirer and News editor Gerald A. Smith, and took place June 28, 1956, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Kellogg Co. The "World's Longest Breakfast Table" drew an estimated crowd of 15,000 to downtown Battle Creek, many singing happy birthday to the company that birthed the cereal industry.
The event took place six times between 1956 and 1962. Battle Creek made it an annual celebration beginning in 1976. In 2009, event organizers canceled the Cereal Festival, but local business owners and volunteers from the community stepped in to save it.
For years, Battle Creek and the pancake-loving city of Springfield, Massachusetts, competed for the Guinness World Record for most people fed during one meal under the symbolic title of "World's Longest Breakfast Table."
During the height of the back-and-forth competition in 1996, Battle Creek fed more than 68,000 before conceding the record to Springfield in order to put the focus back on making it a family-friendly celebration of the city's cereal heritage.
100: Tables and volunteers
About 100 6-foot tables will line McCamly Street, with at least 100 volunteers already signed up to help run the event, along with Kellogg Arena staff.
5,000/10,000: Kilometers
In conjunction with Cereal Fest, the Battle Creek YMCA is hosting its annual Cereal City Classic 5K and 10K races and walks.
The 10K begins at 7:45 a.m., followed by the 5K start at 8 a.m. at the YMCA Multi-Sports Complex at 86 Cherry St. Registration is $40, with T-shirts available for same-day registration on a first come, first-served basis.
For more information, visit runsignup.com/race/MI/BattleCreek/CerealCityClassic.
10,000: Bowls of cereal
Kellogg Arena anticipates serving 7,500 bowls of cereal at the festival, with enough cereal for 2,500 additional bowls available if needed.
Any unused food products will be donated to the South Michigan Food Bank. Food items also will be collected by United Way of Southwest Michigan in front of the Kellogg Co. headquarters as part of its Summer Stock Up program to stock the shelves of local food banks and pantries.
Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Cereal Fest by the numbers: Saturday marks return of city celebration
