Sylvester Peanut Festival breaks attendance records | PHOTOS
Jim West
SYLVESTER — Organizers of the 52nd annual Georgia Peanut Festival in Sylvester are calling the weekend event “the largest ever,” with an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 people coming to enjoy the Peter Pan Peanut Butter Parade, a carnival, great music, food and more.
Mobile users click here for gallery
“We couldn’t have asked more a more gorgeous day,” said festival chair Wendy Kennedy. “I think that had a lot to do with our turnout.”
The festival kicked off on Friday evening with performances by the Bo Henry Bank, Sir Crazy Pants (for the kids) and a “dance and light show” in Jefford’s Park near downtown.
Bright and early Saturday, good-natured participants were chased by “zombies” in the form of Worth County High School football players and cheerleaders in the 5K Zombie Fun Run. The run ended on the 50-yard line of Milt Miller Field with top runners receiving awards in various categories.
The festival theme this year was “Happiness is Peanut Shaped,” logical, since Sylvester, with its 35,000 peanut acres in surrounding Worth County, bills itself as the Peanut Capital of the World. In fact, two of the county’s largest employers are Birdsong Peanuts and ConAgra Foods, which makes every jar of Peter Pan Peanut Butter.
As expected at a peanut festival, many of the vehicles and floats at the parade featured peanuts, peanut facsimiles, peanut candies and other peanut products, as well as farm equipment for planting and harvesting the noble goobers.
And of course there must be Peanut Queens. This year the honors fell to Shara Varnadoe, Baby Miss Peanut; Josie Garwood, Teeny Miss; Paisley Calhoun, Tiny Miss; Harmony Cahoun, Little Miss; Emily Kent, Young Miss; Kylie Barnes, Junior Miss; Keslie Hutchinson, Teen Miss and last but not least — Miss Georgia Peanut, Meredith Lauren McGlamory. The queens were chosen during a pageant on Aug. 22.
Following the parade, many of the spectators adjourned to Jefford’s Park for a carnival, a puppet show, face painting, more from Sir Crazy Pants, music by Distinguished Men of Brass (also known as D’MoBrass) and country music star Keith Anderson.
As long as they lasted, ConAgra, the festival’s primary sponsor, provided free peanut cookies and grilled PB&J sandwiches, and from independent vendors, visitors could purchase anything from hot dogs to fresh produce, seafood, boiled peanuts (of course), cotton candy, honey, funnel cakes, turkey legs, t-shirts, crafts, leather goods and most anything else.
Saturday’s activities would close down around 4 p.m., Kennedy said, but the Pets and Pals Parade is coming up on Oct. 29. In addition, a Gospel Sing featuring Southern Majesty and By His Grace took place on Oct 9, and the annual golf tournament was held on Oct 16 at 8 a.m., festival officials said.
Related Articles
From Ledo to Coston, Lee County’s summer road projects are underway
Updates provided during recent meetings of the Lee County Board of Commissioners show projects are underway or scheduled to begin on several county roads, while additional transportation improvements funded through the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) program and Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (T-SPLOST) are expected to begin shortly after the July Fourth holiday.
PSC candidate Peter Hubbard makes case for election to full term
The reason why voters should pick me is I’m a rare breed in that I read everything that comes across my desk. I’m asking hard questions at the meetings. I want to get to the bottom of are data centers paying their fair share, are residential customers getting their fair share.
Dougherty Schools prepare for bell-to-bell student cell phone ban
As Georgia prepares to expand its statewide ban on personal electronic devices in public schools, Dougherty County School System leaders say they are working to balance compliance with the new law while giving individual schools flexibility in how they implement the policy.
