Early Tickets Sales for Fall Festival Half-Pot Start This Thursday

As the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," but that doesn't mean that whatever "it" is can't be improved a little bit.

It's not like the annual West Side Nut Club Fall Festival needed any help getting people to come down to Franklin Street, but the introduction of the half-pot drawing in 2019 did just that. While it's impossible to know how many people made their way to Franklin Street just to purchase tickets compared to the number who were there to also enjoy the variety of different foods to eat, and everything else the festival has to offer, it was obvious the addition of the half-pot was well-received with the jackpot climbing to over $1 million. The total jackpot has grown every year since with last year's topping $1.6 million. Will 2023 be the year it tops $2 million? The possibility is certainly there thanks to a new tweak the club has introduced.

Early Fall Festival Half-Pot Ticket Sales Begin on Thursday, September 28th

Back in early August, the Club announced on social media it had received "numerous e-mails and messages" from residents through social media asking for the return of the drive-through booths that were used in 2020 when the festival was canceled but the half-pot continued. Those who sent messages said they wanted to buy tickets but didn't want to have to take the time to find a parking spot and fight the crowd to get them. The post included the announcement that the club would grant those residents' requests.

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The drive-through booths will be set up in the empty parking lot across from Mead Johnson at the corner of the Lloyd Expressway and St. Joe Avenue on the following days and times:

• Thursday, September 28th: Noon-8:00 PM
• Friday, September 29th: Noon-8:00 PM
• Saturday, September 30th: 10:00 AM-8:00 PM

At the conclusion of sales on the 30th, the booths will be moved to their regular locations on Franklin Street and will sell tickets from 1:00-8:00 PM on Sunday, October 1st.

Changes Coming to Half-Pot Drawing

In addition to the early sales, the Club also announced it will now accept credit cards, debit cards, and Apple Pay in addition to cash as forms of payment to purchase tickets. Plus, it will extend the time tickets will be sold on the final day of this year's festival. Since the beginning, ticket sales ended at 2:00 PM on the last day of the festival with the winning ticket number announced later that evening following the main parade. This year, ticket sales on the last day will run until 8:00 PM with the announcement of the winning ticket being made during a live-streaming event broadcast through the Club's website and social media channels the next day (Sunday, October 8th).

Tickets for this year's half-pot will be 3 for $10, 20 for $20, 50 for $40, and 150 for $100.

Last year's winner won $819,935.