When it comes to catfish, the folks in Elgin know how to do it right.

Saturday, they’ll be serving 600 gallons of catfish stew to the thousands of visitors in town for the Catfish Stomp, a Christmas tradition in this town of 595 residents.

The Elgin Catfish Stomp was organized in 1975 as a Christmas parade by the Lions Club. Every year the event has grown, and the 1982 stomp attracted about 20,000 people to the small town situation between Camden and Columbia.

This year’s event will kick off tomorrow at 4 PM, when “Family Night” will begin at the carnival, which will be set up on the grounds of Blaney Elementary School.

The dance will begin at 7:30 PM in the Blaney gym. No admission will be charged the band, “Contraband,” will provide the music.

The Christmas parade, featuring marching bands, floats, beauty queens, dancers, Shriners and other units, will begin at 10 AM Saturday.

And Santa and Mrs. Claus will bring up the rear of the parade.

An arts and crafts show and sale will begin early Saturday on the school grounds. Free entertainment, featuring country bands, rock bands, cloggers, gospel groups and martial arts, will be resented throughout the afternoon in the gymnasium and on flatbed trucks outside.

The famous catfish stew will be served at the school cafeteria, beginning at 11 a.m. Cooks, supervised by Walter Harrell, will spend Friday preparing the stew. Fried chicken and home baked goods will also be on the menu.

All proceeds from the Stomp support the Blaney Volunteer Fire Department.