Gnat Days sees a solid turnout

CAMILLA — Residents of Camilla enjoyed a jam-packed weekend as the city once again hosted the annual Gnat Days Festival.

Friday night was the 5K race, followed by a dance with a live DJ. The event then wrapped up Saturday when visitors took in a morning bike race, followed by a chicken wing eating contest, while live music, as well as a record number of street vendors, provided even more fun for those who visited downtown Camilla.

Kids could be seen scaling the large rock climbing wall, jumping in the bounce houses or riding ponies, while adults partook of all the food the street vendors had to offer as a live band played blues and gospel music.

Flowers, clothing, homemade honey and much, much more were available in the streets surrounding the Mitchell County magistrate courthouse. Guests also had the opportunity to meet the candidates running for coroner at their prominently displayed tents.

Although the weekend usually brings in a large crowd, Ginger Kimmel, the chairperson for Gnat Days, said changing the date from the first weekend in May to the second made a difference in attendance of events like the 5K run. Jennifer Burnum, the executive director for the Camilla Chamber of Commerce said the date change as well as targeted outreach, made a significant impact on the amount of vendors in attendance as well.

“With the vendors, changing the weekend played a part in it,” she said. “We also reached out to some older vendors that hadn’t been here in a while, reach back out to them and try to get them to come back out. So we just tried to change it up and try different things.”

Burnum added that the event is a wonderful way for people to come out for some fellowship with their neighbors.

“(It provides everyone with) a sense of community,” she said. “This is a town and this is where we live and where we’re supposed to be proud to call home, and it’s always nice when you can come together and enjoy it together.”

As exhausting as it was, Kimmel said the turnout, and the amount of people enjoying themselves, made everything worth it.

“We love it. We’ve been working almost a whole year actually putting this together,” she said. “Publicizing, getting all the permits, all the plans; making sure we get everybody organized like they’re supposed to be. It’s been a long time coming, so to see it all come together is great. It’s like Christmas morning.”

—