Vardaman’s Sweet Potato Festival brings communities together

Vardaman held its 50th annual Sweet Potato Festival. The festival is the biggest event in Vardaman yearly, bringing in thousands of people from across the state and the country.

VARDAMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – Vardaman’s sweet potato festival is a local favorite event, drawing in thousands of visitors annually.

To many, the event is more than just a time to celebrate their local industry it allows the community time to come together.

Vardaman held its 50th annual Sweet Potato Festival. The festival is the biggest event in Vardaman yearly, bringing in thousands of people from across the state and the country.

The town is known as the “Sweet potato capital of the world.”

Member of the festival’s planning committee Leah Hawks said the festival celebrates this major industry.

“The sweet potato culture here is what Vardaman is all about and this just feels like a big celebration of the people and the economy here and it’s a lot of fun,” Hawks said.

The festival hosts a variety of activities like a car show, live music, and local vendors.

Along with the activities, the festival’s heart is the community it fosters and how it allows people to reconnect.

President of the Sweet Potato Festival committee Terry Dauzat said.

“It’s not just a festival. It’s a reunion of sorts. People that used to live here and moved out of state and started lives somewhere else, always come back for this festival,” Dauzat said.

Wit Casey, who has lived in Vardaman his whole life, agreed

“It is a way and a time for people to come back and reconnect. We have family reunions, class reunions, and a lot of other opportunities for people to come back and really reconnect with their roots here,” Casey said.

This year the festival hosted 147 vendors.

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