Fun weekend at Kudzu Fest


Thursday, October 30, 2008
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Fun weekend at Kudzu Fest

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Photos by Barry Burleson

Festival fun

Last week the Kudzu Festival was held in downtown Holly Springs. The horse-drawn buggies were a popular carnival ride for Nathaniel Strickland Jr. (above) and Manning Stone (below).

Despite a sagging economy worldwide and rainy overcast skies part of last week, the 20th annual Kudzu Festival was a happy event.

Sponsored by the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce, executive director Amy Heaton said the festival exceeded expectations, due to the generosity of local business sponsors and volunteers, barbecue teams, arts and crafts vendors, entertainers, a 5-K run and Happee Days Carnival, which all attracted visitors to downtown.

Braden Gray & Loose Gravel entertained Saturday night.

Attendance and bookkeeping figures won’t be available for a week, but Heaton said she expects this year’s festival to be profitable.

More teams registered this year for the Kansas City Barbecue sanctioned cook-off.

Chamber of Commerce president Lynn Pullen extended appreciation to the community and for 25 local barbecue judges and four KCBS table captains who came from out of state to help.

The “Jiggy Piggy” cooking team was grand champion winner this year scoring a perfect 180 on ribs, Pullen said. The team received a gold pen from KCBS.

“That doesn’t happen often,” she said.

Five teams entered the local entry category with the “Hot Rod Smokers” taking first place.

Heaton thanked businesses for participating in the Store Front Showdown. On the square, first place prize went to Salon Merge, and First Heritage Credit and J.B.’s Restaurant tied for second place. Off-square, Peebles department store took first prize and the Holly Springs Tourism and Recreation Bureau won second place.

Abdo “Alex” Ali won the motor scooter raffle.

A much bigger ride, the Moby Dick, provided some thrills for Conitra Sholar, Deborah Porter and Carmatiesha Griffin.

Seventy-five runners entered the Killer Kudzu Fall Finale, sponsored by American Pacific Paneling with all proceeds going to the Marshall County Relay For Life.

Nineteen units of blood were donated to Mississippi Blood Services.

Thirty-eight vendors from over the Mid-South set up booths in the arts and crafts area.

Vietnam Traveling Wall Exhibits

Heaton said the next big event is scheduled for Thanksgiving week, with the arrival of the traveling Vietnam Wall and six other exhibits honoring those who gave their all to their country through military service beginning with the Vietnam War and other conflicts afterward. The event is open and free to the public.

The Wall and exhibits will arrive in Holly Springs under military-style escort and much fanfare November 25. The Wall leaves December 1. Ceremonies will be held each day. Watch for the daily schedule of events to be published in The South Reporter.

The Collins-Hurdle VFW Post 5697 and Ladies Auxiliary and the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce helped raise the funds to bring the Wall to Holly Springs.

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