51st Vardaman Sweet Potato Festival kicks off Sweet Potato Week
The biggest event of the year for Vardaman began a week-long celebration which helps to fund local organizations and disaster relief.
VARDAMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – The sweet potato capital of the world, Vardaman, held their 51st Sweet Potato Festival on Saturday.
The festival is the biggest event of the year in Vardaman, but starting the day after the festival is Sweet Potato Week.
The week-long celebration kicked off with a baby pageant and continued with pageants for different age groups.
One pageant parent, Hillary Burke, said community events like this mean a lot to her.
“It brings a lot of people out and we have great women that put on the pageant,” Burke said. “So it means a lot.”
Megan Fisackerly, a pageant parent, said it’s a good time.
“I think it’s just a good time for everybody,” Fisackerly said. “To get out and show their babies off.”
Olivia Snellings, Miss. Sweet Potato Queen and emcee for the event, said being a part of the event was great.
“It’s just very fun to be a part of all of this,” Snellings said. “My community is great, I just love being able to hang around with my friends and family and the people in my community.”
Snellings, also said the sweet potato pageant is something she has always enjoyed doing.
“I’ve been competing in this pageant for many years and I’ve grown up doing it,” Snellings said. “And it’s just something I’ve always loved doing.”
Burke said she grew up doing pageants, and it means a lot that her daughter gets to be in them now.
“I grew up doing pageants and we just had the best day,” Burke said. “And it just means a lot because now I have a daughter to pass down the memories to.”
Fisackerly said she was in the pageant every year.
“I was in the Sweet Potato Pageant every year,” Fisackerly said. “I never won the sweet potato pageant, but it’s not about winning.”
Snellings said she is happy to be emceeing this year.
“It’s so much fun,” Snellings said. “Especially being around all the younger kids. I just love babies and it’s so fun to be able to emcee for this pageant.”
Fisackerly, said even though her son didn’t win, that she wasn’t disappointed, because pageants aren’t all about winning.
“He’s a winner in my eyes,” Fisackerly said.
The proceeds from the Sweet Potato Festival, and Sweet Potato Week, go to support local organizations and disaster relief.
