DAPHNE, Ala. — The 4th Annual Belforest Collard Festival will be held at Paul’s Restaurant on the corner of Alabama Highway 181 and Baldwin County 64 this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents can even bring their favorite collard recipe for a chance at first- and second-place trophies — and bragging rights.

Festivities will include 1950s and ’60s music, arts and crafts, door prizes and southern-style greens tasting, according to organizers.

Collards and cornbread are free and all proceeds from door prizes and donations will go directly to the American Cancer Society, Paul Cadenhead, owner of Paul’s Restaurant, said.

“We don’t make as much money as some of these big ones (festivals), but we’re real sincere in our efforts and every penny goes to the American Cancer Society,” Cadenhead said.

LifeSouth Inc. will also be on site Saturday to take blood donations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a news release. Donors must be 17 years or older with a photo ID and not taking antibiotics. Free cholesterol screenings and gifts will be given to donors.

Blood taken at Saturday’s event will support local hospitals and aid people in this area, the news release said.

“We’re the only blood-drawing organization that keeps the blood in the community,” Pam Pace, LifeSouth branch manager of Baldwin County, said.

Blood is needed for surgeries and cancer patients are in constant need of platelets, she said.

“Daily usage in Baldwin County is 75 to 80 units per day; that’s about 200 units per week,” she said. “Both counties (Mobile and Baldwin) use about 850 units per week.”

Besides helping local charities, the event brings community socialization and promotion, Cadenhead said.

“Four years ago we started this event because the Belforest community has been very kind to me,” he said. “This is a farm area and the people in my age group and above, we grew up on collard greens and cornbread. It’s a staple of the South.

“I said, ‘They’ve got shrimp festivals already; that doesn’t really work for our area. Let’s start a nice little collard festival to promote the Belforest area.’ ”

The event brought people together — just as Cadenhead hoped it would.

“The first one we had, I saw all kinds of people sitting around chewing the fat. They socialized, just like we did in that by-gone era,” Cadenhead said.

The bragging rights for the best recipe certainly give people something else to talk about, he said.

Two large trophies will be given for first and second place in the collard recipe contest, Cadenhead said.

A team of judges is selected and each recipe is given a number so that bias or alliance isn’t associated with a name, he said.

Cadenhead said other local cooks are ready to give the past winner a run for her money.

“The lady who won it the past two times has a meatless collard green recipe. Others are tired of her winning; they plan to pull out all the stops,” he said.

Collards are the oldest known greens in the cabbage family, according to the Web site 5aDay.gov, the Internet portal to a program that encourages increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Collard greens grow best in warm weather but they can withstand the cold temperatures of late autumn, according to the site, which says that collards’ flavor is enhanced by a light frost.

The collard festival is a family event; no alcohol is allowed, organizers said. Fried chicken and drinks will be available inside Paul’s Restaurant for the regular price.

To reserve arts and crafts space call 621-0682, or for more information call Paul’s Restaurant at 621-0696.