Sweet potato, hot potato

Published 12:48 am Monday, September 2, 2019

Sunday’s opening blast of heat for Day One of this year’s Sweet Tater Festival didn’t deter the crowds from descending on Smith Lake Park, as Labor Day weekend day-trippers and locals tapped the offbeat annual event for all the fun it offered close to home.

“We’re from Gadsden, and it just looked like something different,” explained Jeanie Breckenridge, who showed up with her daughter and a carload of grandchildren. “The ‘boys’ weren’t about to go anywhere this weekend because of [the return of] football, so us girls were looking for something fun to do with the kids.”

Food vendors flanked both ends of Smith Lake Park, with crafts, kids’ attractions, and a live music stage filling up quickly with people by midday Sunday, despite the blazing heat. Greeting guests at each end of the park were the locally-produced tubers themselves, with truckloads of produce straight from Cullman County farmer Kerry Kress’ fields on sale by the sackful.

“Oh yeah, people buy them out here,” said Kress, who sweated out the day along with the other vendors by taking limited respite beneath a tent. “People don’t seem to think twice about buying ‘em here any more than in a grocery store. They just walk up and see what we have, and they get their money out.”

The weekend-long festival returns Monday for its second act, with another full day of music, activities, games, and unique stuff for sale all set to continue the ‘tater tradition. Smith Lake Park opens its gates beginning at 8 a.m., and the festival goes on until 4 p.m. Admission to the event is $5 per person.

For more information, search Facebook for “Sweet Tater Festival.”