The Flywheel Festival in Houston brought the community together

For 50 years, folks young and old celebrated in the community

HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI)- Rides, booths, and tractors were all a part of the Flywheel Festival in Houston. For 50 years, folks young and old celebrated in the community. Since the pandemic canceled festivities last year, they’re ready to be back in the full swing of things.

“I enjoy talking to the people and normally I enjoy the antique cars, but they’re not having them this year and I enjoy the tractors,” said festival-goer Jerome Woodson.

One thing brought out several people; firing the anvil.  It’s a tradition that officials do each year at the festival. Some believe it’s the secret to keep folks coming to the festival year after year.

“We put a pound of gun powder under it and shoot it up in the air this was an old tradition back in the 1800s,” said festival official Harry Collins.

There were several festival-goers who came to show support.

“It’s our annual new century club 5k and it benefits breast cancer in our community here in Houston and we had over 90 runners and we’re really excited about that great turnout,” said festival-goer Stacey Storey.

“We are making pork skins right here. We take them and cook them and have them in plain and barbeque and we make soap here too. It’s an all-day process it’s the old-timey lye soap,” said vendor Rickey Miller.

For  Miller and his group at the Ole Timers Cooking Shed, it’s their mission to keep old traditions as the year’s pass.

“We like to keep it to where you can make your own because it may get to one day you have to learn to do that you see and we just like to keep it going so people can remember what they did back in the day and still do it now,” said Miller.

The next event will be held in the spring.