Fairy Nicki Barnham looks on as RC Cola (Sam Hathorn) and Miss Moon Pie (Sarah Ashleigh Hunt) make sweet music during the dress rehearsal Monday for the RC-Moon Pie Festival's Synchronized Wading skit 'A Midsummer Nightmare.' The event takes place at 12:15 p.m. Saturday in Bell Buckle. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

But it's worse in Bell Buck-ellll..."

So go the lyrics to one of the songs in Bell Buckle's latest creation.

There's something rotten in Bell Buckle, all right, but it's not the 13th annual Synchronized Wading planned for the upcoming RC-Moon Pie Festival. That bit of foolishness and frenzy, written and directed by the city's first lady, Carla Webb, is ready to entertain thousands of visitors this weekend with its funny -- if skewed -- take on Shakespeare with "A Midsummer's Nightmare."

"We wanted to kind of kick off the Shakespeare Festival coming up at Webb School," said Webb, who also wrote the lyrics to all of the songs in the synchronized wading production, at Monday's dress rehearsal. She also plays that "rotten" thing in Bell Buckle -- the sneaky GooGoo Cluster who tries to steal RC Cola from the sweet Miss Moon Pie.

Capitalizing on current events is a tradition with this particular aspect of the RC-Moon Pie Festival -- the very first show was an homage to the 1994 summer Olympics being held in Atlanta. The festival celebrates Southern traditions -- the sweet, marshmallow cookie and RC Cola -- but it does so with a quirky sense of humor.

"We started to do this to get the tourists in from the Olympics," said Billy Phillips, chairman of the festival and almost-professional synchronized wader. He wears many hats in this year's production -- literally -- and has at least seven costume changes in the 45-minute show.

'We did several activities, like the Moon Pie Toss. We thought, hey, it's summer, let's do synchronized wading," he said.

Because Bell Buckle, which brags that it is "100 years behind the times and proud of it," has no community pool, a kiddie pool was chosen instead, and the great Synchronized Wading exhibition was born. Skits are performed on the stage behind Railroad Square, with the actors standing calf-deep in water, their elaborate costumes hanging into the pool and the high-kicking (sort of) chorus line splashing more water out.

"We'll do another run-through Friday, but without the costumes" said Webb. "They have to dry out!"

The 14th annual RC-Moon Pie Festival will be held Saturday, beginning with the 10-mile run at 7 a.m. The Synchronized Wading begins at 12:15 p.m. Bring a chair and come early, advises Phillips, who said thousands gather to watch the show -- and there are no encore performances.

"We do just one show," he said, laughing. "That's all we can stand."

SCHEDULED RC-MOON PIE EVENTS

9 a.m. -- Art & Craft Fair/Food Court -- Open All Day

9:30 a.m. -- Cloggers

10 a.m. -- RC-Moon Pie 10 Mile Race Awards

10:30 a.m. -- Bluegrass Express Cloggers

11 a.m. -- RC-Moon Pie Recipe Cloggers

11:30 a.m. -- Southern Country Cloggers

Noon -- Contests - Family who traveled the Farthest, Oldest Person Present, Youngest Person Present

12:15 p.m. -- Synchronized Wading "A Midsummer's Nightmare"

1 p.m. -- Uncle Tom's Band

2 p.m. -- Coronation and Opening of Olympic Games

2:15 p.m. -- People's Bank of Bedford County Games - Moon Pie Toss, RC Dash, Moon Pie Hoops, Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest, Hog Calling Contest

3:45 p.m. -- King and Queen select Knights. World's Largest Moon Pie Cut & Served by the King and Queen and Knights of the Moon Pie Round

4 p.m. -- Uncle Tom's Band