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Serpent sacking this weekend By Jason Schaefer The 36th annual National Rattlesnake Sacking Championship is coming to town this weekend. Spectators can watch teams of two attempt to catch and bag 10 live, wild, unaltered rattlesnakes as fast as they can. The winner will bag all the snakes in the least amount of time in a best two out of three format. Teams include the sacker, who holds the bag, and the catcher, who pins the snakes down with a pinner - a rod at least 24” long - and throws them into the burlap bag one at a time. The catcher will hold the bag to allow the pinner to drop the snakes in as easily as possible. Intentional harm to the snakes results in immediate disqualification and if a contestant is bitten, teams are penalized five seconds. In addition to the snake sacking competition, there will also be a carnival, dance, children's petting zoo and arts and crafts. The festivities will kick off at Murphy Park Thursday with the Carnival, which will run through the weekend, opening at 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. On Saturday and Sunday festivities begin at 9 a.m. Daredevil stunts will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and will be followed by snake sacking rounds at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. in the snake pit underneath the pavilion. Stunts will include the “sleeping bag trick,” where the stuntman attempts to escape a sleeping bag filled with snakes without sustaining a bite and the “kiss of death,” where the stuntman kisses a cobra on the head. Live snake safety demonstrations will be held between snake sacking rounds and kid's sacking rounds - with rubber snakes - will be held before each regular sacking round. A raffle for prizes, including a Ruger .17-caliber HMR, a Remington 870 12-gauge, dinner for two at Rococo's and a $30 gift certificate from Dreams to Treasures, will be drawn at 5:30 p.m Sunday. A variety of food will be available, including hamburgers, hot dogs and deep-fried rattlesnake, fried oreoes, funnel cake, fajitas, roasted corn, cajun food, turkey legs and barbecue. A dance featuring local country and rock band The Debonaires will be held Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight. Admission to the carnival and snake sacking competition is $6 for adults, 12 and older, $3 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for kids five and younger. Admission to the dance is $10.
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