First food truck fest a hit

The very first Food Truck Festival in Holly Springs was a great success, said organizer and promoter Bobby Barksdale, III.

An entrepreneur and music lover, Barksdale said he is planning to have another festival in the fall, although no date is set as yet. Attendance at his first fest was over 600.

The seven-hour festival was held at the old Holly Springs Country Club property now owned by Joseph Selman with Latter Rain Church.

The 25 food trucks at his recent festival were mostly locally-owned vendors but some were also from Grenada and Memphis, Tenn., area.

Food, healthcare products, clothing and accessories, were among the items for sale.

Barksdale’s dream is to bring attractions to the City of Holly Springs.

“I want to affect the community because I am from the community. I want to get this done,” he said. “Everybody can be a part of this.”

Born and raised in Holly Springs, he is the son of Sheronda and Bobby Barkesdale. His dad, now retired, worked in law enforcement at Holly Springs Police Department and Marshall County Sheriff’s Department. His mother worked at the Holly Springs Utility Department. Barksdale is a graduate of Northwest Community College with an associate degree in liberal arts and graduate of Ole Miss with a major in history and criminal justice.

He is self employed and worked as a barber from 2019 to 2020 in Holly Springs and Olive Branch. He has two and half years experience as a barber after graduating from the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Memphis, Tenn.

He also works as a consultant to small businesses and as an event coordinator.

As an event coordinator he said he finds solutions to problems and what is needed by event promoters.

He also worked as a victim/witness coordinator from 2016 to 2021 with Amy Weirich in the District Attorney’s office in Memphis.

Today he is full-time entrepreneur.