The
Sumiton Frog Festival 2009
The 2009 Sumiton Frog had picture perfect
weather again. The long-range forecast did not bode well but
the rain moved out on Friday afternoon and the skies were
blue as a swimming pool. It would be hard to order up a better
day off a menu of Great Day optiong.
The air was cool before sunrise but when the sun peeked up above
the horizon and burned off the early morning dew, the weather
was perfect.
There is no way to count the number of people that attend the
festival, but at one point looking down main street in either
direction was wall-to-wall people>
The vendors seemed happy this year as people were not only out
in droves, but they were buying more than in years past.
Below is a link to photos from this year's festival.
2009 Frog Festival Fhotos
Webmaster's Blog Note about the Frog Festival
I'm
not sure you could have ordered up a better day for a small town
festival. We arrived this morning just after dawn and set
up our tent and table. I hadn't half finished setup when I realized
I should have worn a jacket.
After the sun rose out of the east, and burned off the morning
dew, the day warmed nicely.
Our booth was almost at the corner of State and Main Streets
and as it turned out, it was a great location. We caught people
coming and going. We saw so many old friends and well-wishers
that I lost count.
We were a few booths away from the Crazy Hair booth and watching
those kids come out of there was a scream.
This was our fourth Frog Festival and we've enjoyed them all.
The Frog Festival is the perfect small-town festival. Admission
is free, with music on two stages all day long. You can walk
around and eat BBQ, funnel cakes, parched peanuts, and cotton
candy. Jilda and I had lemonade squeezed fresh right before our
eyes.
I had a great time today. The only downside was I got blazed.
I knew better. I had sun screen in the car, but I didn't want
to walk back and get it. So tonight, I'm paying the price.
It will be an yearly night because we are whupped.
October 3th 2009
 Planning
for the
forth annual Sumiton Frog Festival in in the final stages. This
year's festival should be bigger and better than ever before.
The long range forecast has the rain moving off to the east and
blue skies and warm sun are predicted for FrogDay.
All of you favorite vendors are lined up to return on October 3rd
along with great bands, interesting Arts & Crafts and some
of the best food on the planet.
The Frog Festival Car Show sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 121 in
Sumiton will start registration at 8 a.m. and the prizes will be
awarded at 2 p.m.
The children's area includes a Pirate Ship, moon walk, super
slide, climbing wall, jousting, and a baseball sports arena. Also
for the kids - games, children's books, children's toys, face
painting and crazy hair.
This year's festival will have two stages with talent packed
schedules that will include gospel, jazz, country, folk, and
southern rock.
The world famouse Frog T-Shirts will go on sale in the morning.
Be sure to grab your shirt early before they sell out.
Parking for the event will be at Bevill State and the baseball
park. Golf carts will transport people to and from their cars..
Mark you calendars now and plan to come join in on all the fun.
Vendor List Coming Soon
Organizers
announce Frog Festival booth deadlines
Mary
Bailey
The Daily Mountain Eagle Reporter
Monday, Sep 21, 2009
City coordinators organizing the fourth annual Sumiton Frog
Festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, have
announced deadlines for food vendor and booth participation.
The event is no longer accepting food vendor applicants,
but will continue to accept arts and craft booth vendors
until Thursday.
According to Debora Garrison, a coordinator for the 2009
Frog Festival, last year the event brought out between 6,000-7,000
people to the city of Sumiton.
“We will have so much going on,” said Garrison. “We
will have a childrens’ play area, petting zoo, live
entertainment on two different stages and numerous food and
craft booths.”
The children’s play area will have numerous jumping
inflatables, slides, moon walks and a rock climbing wall.
Admission for the childrens’ play area is $5.
Entertainment lined up for the event include: the Ron Rusby
Band, Hearts of Faith, Rick and Jilda Watson, Cody Higdon,
The Kool Katz, Final Cut, Trimble Hill, Pride and Joy, New
Bethel Drama Team, Revelation, Star, Exit 289, Trinity, Showstoppers,
Sumiton Church of God, Road Crew, Sound of Silence and South
Southern Delta.
Vendor booths will include jewelry, candles, wood working,
metal crafts, purses, childrens’ clothing, plants,
flowers and decorative gourds.
“We want to invite everyone in the community to come
out,” Garrison said. “We have something for everyone.”
Admission and parking is free for the event and traveling
shuttles will be running to and from Main Street.
For more information about the 2009 Sumiton Frog Festival
or to make booth reservations contact the Sumiton city clerks
office at 648-3261.
|
The 2008 Frog Festival enjoyed
stellar weather again. The morning was cool as vendors scrambled
to get their booths set up.
The number of vendors swelled to over 160 booths offering food,
arts & crafts, horse riding, tee shirts, quilts, and information
on just about anything you care to know about.
There was music in the air from two stages.
This year's festival was special in that it paid tribute to our
veterans. More than thirty veterans from our nations wars were
honored.
Bruce Hamrick, Chairman of the Walker County Commission presented
Leldon McLeroy a belated Silver Star for his efforts during World
War II.
Civil War enactment folks were on hand with demonstrations
and displays.
The car show sponsored by the Boy Scout Troop 121 took place on
the Bevill State Campus and awards of over $500 in cash and prizes
for winners.
The Sumiton Frog Festival is a family oriented event with fun for
the entire family. Face painting for the kids and a children's
area
Last year's festival in October drew thousands
of people for the event. The early autumn weather in Alabama is
perfect for festivals.
Click
here for photos of the 2008 Frog Festival
A
Good Ol' Day in Sumiton
by Jilda Watson
Saturday October
4th, 2008 was a good old day.
If you are of one of those folks who find themselves
wishing for and dreaming of the good old days, if you
long for the day when you  walked
down the street and
your neighbor smiled at you, when it was safe for
children to walk the sidewalk, if you dreamed of a
town where the
people were not embarrassed or afraid to show their
love
for God and country, where soldiers were remembered
and respected, where young and old, people of every
color and
faith, well to do and not so well to do, walked the
street without fear, where BBQ, fried fish, fried
pies, and snickers and fresh lemonade flowed like milk
and honey, where dulcimers, candles, wind chimes, and
frogs of every kind were made with much love, where
the music and talent seemed to ooze from the streets
themselves,
then you should have been at the 2008 Frog Festival in
Sumiton, Alabama. For the third year, there was a
place in Walker, County where time stood still, a
place where we could all look back in a few years, and
remember
a good old day.
|
