Is there a buzzing sound in the air? That buzzing accompanies the hundreds of rattlesnakes collected for the 40th annual Lometa Lions Club Diamondback Jubilee.

Set to begin early Saturday morning at Lometa Regional Park, the event will offer its unique brand of entertainment as well as some new additions to the snake show lineup.

The festival that has become a Lometa mainstay was begun by a group of area residents, including organizers Clyde Glimp and Bo Brown, Robert Butler and local snake hunter Bunt Dean in an effort to reduce rattlesnake numbers in Lampasas County.

The thought was that reducing the number of snakes would thereby decrease the number of snakebites among the locals’ children.

In the four decades since its inception, the event has grown by leaps and bounds, evolving into a festival with entertainment for all ages.

This year’s Diamondback Jubilee will include a state-sanctioned barbecue cookoff, a chili cook-off, demonstrations by U.S. Army personnel from Fort Hood, a number of food and craft vendors, and, for the first time, a car show with no entry fee.

The Jarret Schaub Band also will perform during the event.

The carnival, a perennial favorite of local children, already is on premises and offering its entertainment.

Lometa Lions Club secretary Dave Hamilton said snake hunters will enjoy prime payout at this year’s event. Snake prices will average $3-$4 per pound, with incounty hunters to receive an additional dollar per snake in Lampasas County bounty.

While snake farms have taken the place of many events such as the Diamondback Jubilee as a source of snake collection for antivenom, Hamilton said the reptiles will be put to use.

“Snakes are humanely euthanized, then skinned and used to create fashion accessories such as belts, hatbands and home décor,” Hamilton said.

Each year the Lometa Lions Club utilizes proceeds from the annual festival to fund charitable endeavors in the Lometa area, including a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior and support for the needs of the community.

The Lions Club recently assisted in renovations to the rodeo arena at the regional park that included construction of bleachers and repainting the arena itself.