Wide variety of vendors lined up for Tomato Festival
The 14th annual Tomato Festival activities are set to begin Friday, June 26 at 6 p.m. with the crowning of the Tomato Queen at the gazebo in Railroad Park and the Junior Auxiliary’s BBQ and Blue Jeans event immediately afterwards.
Jeff Haliczer’s hot air balloon “Off the Wall” will “glow” Friday, weather permitting.
Judges will interview the 2009 Tomato Queen contestants during the afternoon Friday at the Chautauqua Visitors Center in preparation for the selection and crowning at 6 p.m.
Saturday morning, the Tomato Festival 5K Run/Walk, sponsored by Telepak begins at 8 a.m. begins and ends at the Lee Avenue Community Center. The Kiddie parade begins at 9 a.m. at city hall and follows the route on the map.
Usual features of the Tomato Festival include the farmers’ market which features homegrown tomatoes and other fresh produce for sale, music, wares offered by arts and crafts vendors, food of all kinds including the popular ribeye steak sandwiches offered by the Copiah County Cattlemen’s Association.
The annual tour of homes sponsored by the MacDowell Music Club will be open Saturday at the homes of Christine Brinson Hogg at 516 Lee Avenue and Gigi and Jeff Smith at 215 North Jackson Street.
The Tomato Museum will be open at the Chautauqua Park Visitor Center during the hours of the festival on Saturday. The Tomato Festival Art Competition for adults and students K-12 will take place at the Visitor Center Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
As is customary, a number of graduation classes will be holding reunions during the festival.
Food Vendors
Jam Concessions, Crystal Springs, hot dogs, drinks, hamburgers; K & B Concessions, Bassfield, chicken on a stick; Egg Roll House, Meridian, chicken and Polish sausage; Allen Cooking Team (Allen Fire Department), Pattison, onion blossom; Greg Dunaway, McComb; Donald Tobias, Summit; Ralph and Missy Elmore, Brandon, Polish sausage; Mike Crawford, Mobile, Alabama, snowie shaved ice and pucker power candy.
Copiah Cattlemen, ribeye sandwiching; Ruby Ferrell; Lynn Warren, Drew, pizza sticks, funnel cakes, chicken strips, foot long hotdogs; Ray Brown, Crystal Springs, fried fish; Daniel Koehs, Scooba, ice cream; Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church, Crystal Springs, fried green tomatoes; Dwight Ainsworth, tomato sandwiches and snow cones.
Vendors
Amanda DeLaughter, home/garden art, Morton; Hilda Breland, hand bags and sunglasses, Jena, La.; Beverly Richards, Shamwow seasalt scrub, Monroe, La.; Barbara Martin, fashion jewelry, Grenada; Ed Hutchison, fashion jewelry and sunglasses, Canton; Susan McNeill, Miss Hissyfit T-Shirts, Hazlehurst; Telepak-Steven Meadows, communications, Ridgeland.
Clara Fortner, camo for children, Jackson; Salem Baptist, Southern Belle T-shirts (religious), Lake; Jerelyn Dempsey, handmade vintage jewelry, Terry; Glenda Taylor, rope sandals, Brooksville; Carlos Veyer, musical instruments, Antioch, Tenn.; John Graw, decorative globes, Pearl; Me & Mom Beadware, home decor crosses, beaded utensils, Lake; George Bozanic, balloon game, Lumberton; Brookhaven Exchange, drawing for 4-wheeler, Bogue Chitto.
Sheila Slaughter, swimwear, Terry; Southern State Giftworld, earrings, candles, wind chimes, Crystal Springs; Mary Jo Kellogg, houseplants and plant arrangements, Bogue Chitto; Claudia Moncure, accessories and jewelry, Jackson; Janie Pope, leather belts, buckles, pork skins, Carthage; David McCullar, wire names, clothes, sunglasses, Arlington, Ind.;
Kathleen McDougal, metal plated signs, Olive Branch; Mike Simpson, wallets, belts, hats, keychains, Hernando; W. R. Buffington, ladies shorts, candles, Silver Creek; Mati Feuss-Green, pottery, floral wreaths, Crystal Springs; Rosario’s Jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, Madison; Robbie Fort, throw pillows, towels, curtains, Tallulah, La.; Ken Moss, T-shirts, hats, leather goods, Ponchatoula, La.; Clinton Shrine Club, drawing for 4-wheeler, Bolton; Lisa Berry, glass tomato jewelry, Crystal Springs; Travis McManus, Africa art, Crystal Springs.
The Republican Party, information, Crystal Springs; Wayne Castleberry, jewelry, Jackson; Sandra Graves, children’s homemade bows, Jackson; Billie Deer, jellies, jams, pickles, cookbooks, McComb; Cassie Smith, jewelry, Meridian; Cecil Taylor, Florence; Bulah Taylor, triple magnetic jewelry, Magee; Kent Walker, C.S. T-shirts, jewelry, photos, Crystal Springs; Helen Collins, Avon products, Hazlehurst; Michele Johnson, kids’ purses, bibs, Brandon; Daryl McLendon, T-shirts, jewelry, Crystal Springs; Heather Russell, handmade purses and jewelry, Louisville.
Ruby M. Davis, plants, flowers, tags, Hazlehurst; C. S. United Methodist Church, water, Crystal Springs; Jennifer Garner Designs, onsite monogramming, Columbus; Bill Thomas, yard art, yard swings, South Haven; Debbie Hurt, Southern Belle, Flowood; Doris Keifer, bird houses, shirts, wood items, Florence; Louise Cliburn, Watkins products, Raymond; David Hawthorne, decorative birdhouses, Mize; Jacqueline Gough, hairbows, tutus, halos, wings etc., Lauderdale; The Pampered Chef, business needs, Brookhaven; Benton Ingram, original artwork, jewelry, etc., Florence.
Agnes Bell, coffee sampling, Bolton; Resie Taylor, scrapbooking items, picnic table covers, etc, Crystal Springs; Jerry Hocutt, birdfeeders, Florence; Lyn Day, yard art, frames, painting, Hazlehurst; Renee Stewarat, ironwork; Sammy Adcock, flags, mailbox covers; Phillip Ables, create-a-bear; Wanda Andre, toys, sand art, caps, sunblasses; Copiah Living Center, information, Crystal Springs; Holly Hodgson, hair bows and holders; Kristis Krafts, bird feeders and houses.
Pam Waldrup, visors, toe anklets, Ellisville; Billy Self, diecast farm toys, Kosciusko; Tota & Polkadots, bibs, burp cloths, etc.; Theresa Gordon, wallets, jewelry; Sheryl Renfroe, Curves of Byram; Nikki Harmons, handmade wooden signs; Micah Adamson, pet clothes and supplies; Stephanie Miller, handpainted ceramics; Theresa Owens, tirehorse swings; Sid Tresch, handmade purses, sand art and jewelry; Mike Thompson; Henry Weik, handmade swings and gliders; Dorothy Raper, Duck Hill; Sonya Bishop, Allstate Insurance, Hazlehurst; Angela Williams, stockings, bibs, dresses, purses, Slidell, La.; and Sharon Fitzhugh, airbrush tattoos, etc. Magnolia.
