Decatur County Releases 2026 Community Events Calendar for Residents, Visitors

With the World's Largest Raccoon Hunt set to open at the Decatur County Fairgrounds Thursday, Decatur County published its updated Annual Events page this week, consolidating dates for four signature events that draw regional visitors, fuel fundraising for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and child abuse prevention, and run from April through October at venues anchored along Highway 641 South and the Tennessee River.

The hunt, approaching its 50th annual edition, runs Thursday through Sunday on the second full weekend of April at the Decatur County Fairgrounds, 1925 Highway 641 South in Parsons. Organized entirely by volunteers through the nonprofit Decatur County-St Jude Worlds Largest Coon Hunt Inc., the event has raised more than $4.5 million for St. Jude's Memphis campus since its founding in 1976. Director Curtis Burton confirmed last year that the majority of cash prize winners donate their winnings back to the hospital. Despite its name, the hunt is a no-kill field trial sanctioned by both the United Kennel Club and American Kennel Club: hound dogs chase raccoons up trees without harming them, drawing families alongside competitive handlers from Mississippi, Alabama, Indiana, and across Tennessee. Live entertainment and food round out the four-day program.

July 4th weekend brings The Big Squeeze to Parsons, a veterans' fundraiser that has featured an All American Hero breakfast and a Field of Flags display at the Decatur County Bank parking lot, with a formal program honoring county veterans.

August's centerpiece is the Decatur County Fair at the Fairgrounds, featuring rides, live music, and exhibits. The fairgrounds office is available at 731-852-4270 for vendor and scheduling inquiries.

October closes the major event season with the Carl Perkins Bass Classic, now in at least its 18th annual edition. Boats launch from Perryville Marina on the Tennessee River and weigh in at the Fairgrounds; the 2019 edition drew 112 boats, with Tim Cobb and Jason Brown taking first place at a combined 33.94 pounds. The tournament benefits the Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, a West Tennessee nonprofit providing free services to child abuse victims and their families. The event is named for Carl Perkins, the West Tennessee rock-and-roll and country pioneer who is also the center's namesake. Primary contact Clay Jordan can be reached at 731-847-4020 or carlperkinscenter.org.

For a county of 11,435 residents, the consolidated calendar serves a practical function beyond tourism promotion. Scheduling all four events in a single county-run clearinghouse lets emergency management, law enforcement, and highway crews anticipate resource needs across the year, while restaurants, marinas, and retailers in Parsons and along the riverfront near Cherokee Marina and Grill can plan staffing and inventory around the county's predictable peak weekends. Nonprofit organizers gain earlier visibility to recruit sponsors and volunteers. Groups seeking to add or update event listings can contact the county administration through the official Decatur County government website, where the full 2026 calendar is publicly accessible.