For the past 51 years, Vardaman, Mississippi, has celebrated its annual Sweet Potato Festival with a time of food, fun, and fellowship. But it’s so much more than that.
It’s a harvest celebration for the hard-working and hospitable people of Vardaman, an opportunity to graciously share the bounty of Mississippi’s largest crop of sweet potatoes.
In celebration of their yearly harvest, the entire week of November 3-9 is designated as Sweet Potato Week. But the weeklong calendar of activities begins with the Arts & Crafts Festival on Saturday, November 2.
The day’s events occur from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., starting at the town post office with a 5K Run. Then, visitors can browse and shop from vendors lining both sides of the street in downtown Vardaman. Don’t miss out on the taste-testing booth and all the delicious food vendors either.
I advise you to take home some sweet potato goodies, especially some of the world-renowned treats from Sweet Potato Sweets. And don’t forget the Front Porch’s Famous Chicken Dinner! But tickets often sell out early for this amazing barbeque-chicken meal, so that might be your first order of business.
There’s also musical entertainment planned throughout the day, as well as a car and truck show, an antique tractor show, and a sweet potato pie eating contest that begins at 12:30 p.m. in front of the musical stage. Yep, the music will pause for this crazy, tasty event. But the slate of entertainers for the day is impressive: 3 Strong Chord, Mitchell Johnson, Leah Rose, Sparta Opry House Band, The Butcher Family, Grant Fugett, and Bigbee Ramblers.
After the last performance, don’t leave Vardaman without taking home a box of sweet potatoes from the Sweet Potato Capitol of the World.
And the celebration continues throughout the week, with four age divisions of the 2024 Sweet Potato Pageant. These pageant winners will be recognized and honored on Saturday, November 9, at the 51st Annual Sweet Potato Harvest Banquet.
Beginning at 6 p.m. in the Vardaman High School Gym, the banquet will include entertainment from Backrow Baptist and a delicious, catered meal from Taylor Grocery. The prestigious cooking contest winners will be announced that night, as well as recipients of various yearly farming awards, including Vardaman’s Pioneer Farmer, Young Farmer, and Mama Grace Award, each a unique tribute to 51 years of farming excellence.
This year’s celebration is just a little sweeter for the people of Vardaman, as they endured more than their share of adversities, including a devastating fire in July that destroyed several downtown buildings and some significant storm damage in August.
Yes, it was a tough year for the people of Vardaman, but they worked together as a community to overcome these difficulties with a spirit of resilience and determination. So, this year, they are even more excited to invite people from throughout the state to come and celebrate with them this Saturday, November 2, at the 51st Annual Vardaman Sweet Potato Festival.
For more information, go online to: vardamansweetpotatofestival.com/ or facebook.com/VardamanSPF.
