-The following program is a West Tennessee PBS special pre made possible through the genero financial support of viewers lik Please visit westtnpbs.org and make a donation today so that we can continue to make local programs like this possibl Thank you.

-It's the longest-running, largest festival in all of Tenne Hello, I'm Julie Cook.

On this, Tennessee is Talking, the topic is this year's West Tennessee Strawberry Festival, what's new this year and what events you don't want t Let the conversation begin.

-That's so cool.

-Then that's when I said that-- -The problem with that idea is-- -Wow, that was amazing.

-Then I came up with a solution.

[music] -What was that about?

-Here's what I think about it.

-Now we're talking.

-West Tennessee PBS presents Tennessee is Talking.

Let the conversation begin.

-Thanks for joining us.

I'm Julie Cook.

Today we're talking about the 86 annual West Tennessee Strawberry in Humboldt.

Joining us are Beth Culpepper, the festival coordinator, and Anne Short, this year's festival president.

Welcome to both of you.

Before we find out about the events this year, Beth, let's start with you.

Tell us how the Strawberry Festi -Oh, goodness.

Can we take the entire show to d -It's a long history, no doubt a -Our very first festival happened in 1934, and of course, the strawberry crop happened way before 1934.

In 1934, a group of businessmen got toget and they were looking for a way to spotlight this area and the production of strawberri that had so rapidly taken off here locally, just to try to bring awareness to the crop and new techniques of how to grow them better, ship them off better.

They came up with this three-day Actually, it was a one-day festival at first, and then began in a three days and then went to a week-long fes where they just brought all kinds of different businesse that were in the process of growing the strawberries, packaging the strawberries, and selling the strawberries.

That's how short story that it all took off from there.

-You know, every year I try because I've been to just about every one of them, and someone who hasn't been before will usua "Why don't they sell strawberrie at the strawberry festival?"

There are a few reasons for that -Modern technology took off, and the year-round growing climate is just not conducive he in West Tennessee anymore with a combination of rising lab and farmers wanting to diversify their crop more and get into oth like the cotton and soybeans that we see today, just led to the disappearance mo of the growing of the strawberri There's still a few local farmer around West Tennessee, but it definitely has decreased -Boy, you can't stir them with a when it gets picking time, that's for sure.

-Oh, yes.

Everybody wants them.

-Everybody wants them.

-If you are growing them, you're going to sell them for su -That's right.

That's the reason for that.

How many people does the parade draw every year?

Do you have a number on that?

It's so many thousands that are in for those two days.

-We can estimate, and we get some cell phone data and some ot that we can gather our crowd num but we can estimate around 40,00 come in on that Thursday and Fri Those days-- -That's just the two days.

That's not even during the week- -Correct.

--when you have all the other ac -Most recently, we've gotten a g in the 80,000s of people that ma to Humboldt, either one time or multiple time during that week to come partici in the events that we have.

-For either one of you, as far as how the festival has evolved over the years, the events that have been added and new attractions, what are some of the things that say we didn't have in the ' or didn't have in the '60s?

-Well, it has evolved, and you d to change with the times.

I'm a long-time attendee of the My family built floats and I was at some of the history, and there used to be even be a queen's ball.

I've never heard about the queen -That's not something they do [?

[crosstalk] -No, I've never even heard of it -Is there a breakfast or somethi -We do have a prayer breakfast, and that has been going on for m We have a couple of new events t We've added gospel music to Sund which is going to be really phen We're excited about doing that.

-That would be the Sunday before the main kickoff [?]

[cro -Yes, that will be May 5th.

That Sunday evening we'll have gospel music, and then we have also added a golf cart competition for the which people can enter their golf carts and decorate th and there is going to be a prize -Is that a separate parade, or is that in the parade?

-No, it will be in the parade on It must be a golf cart.

It can't be one of these four-wheel all-terrain vehicles.

-Racers and things like that.

-Right, exactly.

-Just a plain old golf cart.

-Yes, and we've also added music on Tuesday night, which will be nice and that will take place congrue with the Barry Idol that we have on Tuesday night.

-Now that's been added in the past few years [?]

[cross -This is the third year for Barr -That's based on the American Id -Exactly.

-It's a talent competition.

-It's a preliminary to the Mid-S -That's a biggy.

-It's specifically a youth talent competition.

We had some area voice teachers and people in that industry or b and really struggling with ways for their students to get out th and get some experience on stage and singing.

We were approached about it and the idea and we tested it out.

It really has been a great event that we've added to the week on Tuesday night.

-A lot of competitions, talent competitions are coming b There are more now because when in the Joe Kincaid studio, we were in talent competitions all the time and then they went -That's what they relayed to us, was there just wasn't a lot of opportunity out there for their students to get out th beyond what they could offer in to help them grow as musicians too.

-I'm excited about the gospel.

What brought that on?

-Well, we were just talking abou Sunday is the kickoff and the fo are in town and everybody's mean around Main Street and visiting the different food trucks, but it's really just, there's nothing in the backgroun no live entertainment and we really thrived on these, every night we have some type of musical entertainme The gospel was a natural fit for Sunday evening.

-Because you will see people even when there's nothing going on the main street, they're down there at those food -That's right.

The carnival's not yet open, so we don't have that noise background, so we felt like the gospel would be a nice fit for Sunday e -Good blessing for a lot of folk -Right.

-Now, when does the carnival come in t -Tuesday night.

-On Tuesday night, so it's not on Sunday or Monday.

What about Monday night?

That's always a big night with the fireworks and the kicko -That's our opening celebration.

That is a free community event.

Everything we offer that night i We do face painting and interactive games like bounc things like that.

We have a huge fireworks show.

-That's over at the football fie -Yes, at Barker Memorial Stadium located at the high school.

Again, it's free for anyone to c I would argue that we have one of the best firework shows a It's very well done.

We set it to music.

It's really fun if you're in the and those lights go out and that music goes on.

It just kicks everything off even though it's late Monday nig It's still our kickoff for the week.

It's just a fun family night.

Again, it was a way for us to offer something and not offer where you had to come spend mone We know that's very important to our visitors that they can co experience things and not feel l "Oh, my goodness.

I'm just drain my pocketbook doi It's all free.

-Because it really is a treat.

I had a friend a few years ago who had just had a knee replacem and she was dying to get out to do something.

She said, "We're going to go to Humboldt and go to--" Of course we stayed in the car.

She wasn't able to get out.

She said, "That's what I want to I want that to be my first outin is the opening ceremony."

That's what we did.

We parked the car and saw those -That's [?]

to say there's still a lot of people that don't even come in the football stadium.

They park all on the bypass over in the baseball fields and they just sit in their car and enjoy the fireworks show.

If you have the opportunity to come in the football stadium, it really is an experience to see it that way.

-Well, because the music, you can't hear the music on the -That's the bad thing.

-Then the Barry's there, we'll do photos with the Barry for the kids.

-You're talking about the mascot -The mascot Barry.

Yes.

-Now, does a particular person do that or do they swap up?

-We do tend to swap him up.

It's usually a surprise every year of who end being, it's become, not a competition, but we really have a lot of inte in people wanting to play the Ba -You want to get chosen for the -Yes.

We've made him more of a focal p he is our face of the festival, more or less, literally.

He's a big part of the week.

He makes a lot of appearances.

He probably works just as hard a -He probably does.

I was told that that's what the past presid was be the bearer.

Initially said, I don't know.

I don't know that that's going to be in my job.

-I don't know, sometimes we get voluntold to do things.

-Oh, I like that word.

-I like that.

Voluntold.

I like that.

-When you go to add an event, how do you decide what you're go to add new?

When you were talking about adding a gospel show, do you just recap every year and maybe we could try this or that?

-I think we really look at the t when can we fit it in?

What's going on that day?

What the incoming president would like to put in a place, like some type of spin they'd li to the festival, something that's important to th Also, obviously we listen to what our visitors like and what they're most inter That's how the Cornhole Tourname came about.

We started that.

This will also be its third year and it's really grown.

-Next thing you know you have to add a pickleball tournament.

-We did discuss that briefly, but you can only add so much.

-We have already 30-plus events.

-Yes, time and space.

-That's just roughly, we talk about what would add the most benefit, the most positive outcome of add an event, putting time and energy into it.

Is it worth it?

Is that something our crowds would participate in?

We do a lot of talking, a lot of ideas getting thrown ou and throw some darts on a board what sticks in the end.

-Of course, pageants.

West Tennessee is pageant countr and there's big days for pageant Is there one just about every day or night?

-They start Thursday.

-On Thursday, Friday, and then Saturday, with all the different age group even from the little babies?

-No, ours start at age six is the youngest we go.

-Six years old.

Okay, I didn't k if you still had that for the to -We do two Thursday, two Friday, and two Saturday.

-That's a lot.

-We'll crown six girls who will represent us throughout at various events, going to other parades throughout West Tennessee, doing service projects and different things that we pla during the year.

The pageants are a huge part.

They all have to participate in the parade, so that adds a little bit of spark to our par seeing all those girls come through and what their creativit on their floats and bikes and th that they enter.

-Now, this is a Miss Tennessee Volunteer Preli right?

-No, it's not.

We are still in an amateur-type You do have to win a qualifying to come to our pageant.

-Is there a hostess and then a territorial program?

What's the difference in that?

-There's two hostess pageants, Junior Hostess Princess and Hostess Princess, and those are our local, to Humboldt girls.

-Have to be from Humboldt.

-It's not Humboldt specifically.

We've widened that area just a l Humboldt, Madonna, Gadsden, Frui -Gibson.

-There's some specific zip codes that it encompasses.

-Live there.

-Correct, yes.

We opened and expanded that area a little bit to create some oppo for some other girls to particip -Because there were a few years where the pageant scene was very thin.

-It was, yes.

-It's built back up again, which is great to see.

It gives a lot of girls great opportuniti -I can remember the days when te and you probably do too, Julie, when there were 80, 90 gi in that particular pageant, and it just went on for hours.

-Then you do everything you coul to get 15 to come out.

-That's right.

-That's for a period.

I'm glad to see that back on the A lot of great opportunities.

We've got the pageants, the para two different parades still.

Now, what's the one on Thursday?

-That's the Junior Parade, and it starts at 10 AM, both parades start at 10 AM.

The Junior Parade is, I think, still the longest parad that's hand-pulled.

-Non-motorized.

-Non-motorized, yes.

No motorized vehicles in the par The floats must be hand-pulled.

The participants must ride a bike or walk or be a character We have a lot of different chara that come.

It's just considered the Junior We like to focus the kids.

The marching bands will still be but they're usually junior high that comes that day.

-Now, some are in the larger parade too.

-Yes, absolutely.

-They can opt to do that.

-Yes, you can do both.

-If you want to do both.

Now, last year, Anne, you were the general chairman, and you're the president this ye How does that work?

Does that just-- you just pass the baton down from here?

You have one year to practice, and then you get to cut up the whole thing?

-Yes, you really do.

You need to have some type of in in the festival really to qualif to take over the position.

Even as deeply rooted as I've be with floats and the governor's l you have no idea how much work with Beth at the helm, but how much work goes into the and the process and getting spon I think that's really what hits home with me is that almost 100% of the festival are funded by our sponsors.

We couldn't do it without the sp and the volunteers.

-Was that tough when there was C -Yes and no.

Some of that has changed a little bit, but we couldn't do it without our sponsors and be our our title sponsor.

This is their second year to do -There's only a couple of years when the parade has not been hel -Right, World War II and COVID.

-Okay, World War II and COVID.

I did hear that last year.

You were talking about the plann As far as volunteers, how many-- everybody, you're a volunteer, but outside the operating board, how many people does it take?

Do you have a number?

-Gosh.

I hadn't thought about th -I would say if I had to put a number to it, it's well over 100 people.

They might serve on more than one committee, but it does take a lot of people who know their roles.

Sometimes you don't even know that they've done something, but it gets done.

We're so thankful every year that they show up and do their j and they're happy to do it.

They know what it means to Humbo and West Tennessee to put this week together.

They're more than willing to do It's probably somewhere in the h We really probably should put a count to it.

-I don't know.

We ought to think about that.

-So many people come in for a brief amount of ti a small part of that job or that and then breeze back out.

They'll back and forth all week doing all kinds of jobs.

-Every specific event has a committee chair.

You have a committee chair, and then you've got, of course, your other workers under you.

-How many separate events do you Do you have a number?

-30 this year?

-I think there's 31 this year.

-You have to have a chair and a for each of those and make sure and make sure they're organized.

-Right.

-That's overseeing.

It takes a village for sure.

What is maybe something that peo don't know about the Strawberry -I would say, Anne touched on it a little bit, that we are 100% funded through our sponsorships.

Without our sponsors, this festival does not happen.

We do get a lot of auxiliary hel in terms of safety and security and sanitation, things like that from the city of Humboldt.

We absolutely couldn't do any of that without them.

Our mayor is extremely helpful and whatever we need, they're there to make it happen.

It is a lot of behind-the-scenes and contributions that make this We wouldn't be celebrating the 86th one without them.

I feel like that's a little-know People just think, oh, you just have this money.

No, we have to raise it every ye -Probably the planning, too, I would think.

-Yes, to pay for the bands, to pay for the PR, to pay for the media, to pay for -Yes, the planning starts about or so after the last one finishe -It's like an 11-month process once you take it.

-We take about a month to clean everything up and I have to pay all the bills and write all the and put all the stuff back away.

Then we actually need a month pr to rest and recover from the wee Then we start hitting it hard because there's contracts that w a year in advance with bands and fireworks, things like that.

-Bands, that was my next questio That's right, because those fire are expensive.

-You got to get on their calenda too because they're hard to come -There are not many people that -That's right.

-The music this year, you've got a great lineup, I'm assuming you always do.

-Tuesday's added and that's Fred and The Missing Fifth?

-Chad Karnes.

-Chad Karnes, sorry.

-Chad Karnes and The Missing Fif We added them on Tuesday night.

They'll be in the food court, which is a new little area we st last year.

Of course, Anne talked about the gospel music night on Sunday night.

That will be at the review stand Before we move all of that stuff we'll do it in that parking lot on Sunday night.

-That'll be various groups, that's not just going to be one -Four or five groups, local groups that will perform.

-For the gospel?

-The gospel.

-Yes.

-On Sunday, going out there and what's the ice cream on a stick with the chocolate?

-Fiddlestix.

-Fiddlestix.

Go out there with your fiddlesti and long corn dogs and things like that and listen to some good gospel music on tha -Then we have Wednesday night, which is Paula Bridges.

Everybody knows Paula Bridges and her crew.

That's Wednesday night.

Thursday night is our big, big concert at the review stand.

We're bringing 12 South back from Nashville.

They are so fun.

I call them a party band.

-They are a party band.

They get everybody up.

-They're so fun and active and they interact with the crowd That's a big night.

Then on Friday night, we actually added another night, we're having the school of rock which is the student band from T Peabody High School.

It's a group of kids that just get together and love Chad Coren, who's doing our music Tuesday night actually this band of kids, so they're going to come on Friday night and do a concert Friday night to in the Feedport as well.

We have five total nights now of free entertainment.

All of these events are free to We don't charge anything for tha You can come and go, grab your food, come sit for a while, take in some good local music.

-Bring your lawn chair.

-Bring your lawn chair.

-Go to the carnival for a little while, leave the ca -I always love that feeling because I know when I was little they used to have street dances.

Then they didn't have them anymo It always reminds me, and just s kids running around and the stro and things like that, and people just dancing and listening to music, it's great.

What have we not touched on?

We're getting a little bit short on our time.

I know you wanted to mention a f folks, a few sponsors.

-Anne mentioned that VR Supply is our title sponsor this year.

We are so grateful for them and their support.

Obviously, they're local, they're Western Tennessee and Humboldt, Parham Heating, Cooling Electric, they're also our Platinum sponsor this year.

We have well over 80 sponsors total that, aga we couldn't do any of this witho They are local businesses.

They're West Tennessee businesse They all have roots here.

They want to see West Tennessee that's why they help us offer quality events for our visitors, and most of them free of charge They're just a few that I would like to thank.

Then, of course, all of our volunteers and people that work behind the scenes so hard to make everything happe It's not just us.

We all have a role, and we're all happy to do it.

-Many times more than one, I'm s -We wear a lot of different hats that's for sure.

-What about the app that you dow -We started an app two years ago It's free to Apple and Android u You can go on your app store and West Tennessee Strawberry Festiv Our little beary man is the icon That's a great way to find out any information.

All of the events are located on the carnival times, where things are located.

You can even buy merchandise on It's been a great little tool fo We've got the weather on there, what the forecast would be for t If you're trying to make decisio about what day you want to come, you can go there and just find i -Now, one thing we didn't mentio the Chamber.

Are you a part of the Chamber?

-The festival is housed under the Humboldt Chamber of Commerce It's I guess I would call it a subsidiary of the Chamber.

We do operate on separate budget but we are housed underneath the It's always been a Chamber-relat and then the festival.

-I was thinking I saw a t-shirt last year, maybe.

You all do sell merch.

-We do.

-What kind of merchandise do you -We usually always do shirts and different little things.

We'll do a cup.

-Cups.

-We've done lots of different st We give away a lot of stuff that -Mugs.

-Bags, chopstick, and hand sanit We've done it all.

-Hats.

-Hats.

-Lots of hats.

-We all need our festival merch.

-We are out of time, ladies.

I thank you so much for being wi Anne Short, who is the president of the 86th annual Strawberry Fe which will be with us very soon, and Beth Culpepper with the Cham who is the events coordinator.

I want to thank both of you for joining us.

-Thank you.

-Looking so forward to another great West Tennessee Strawberry Festival.

Thank you for joining us on Tennessee is Talking.

Remember, you can stream today's in all local Channel 11 programs on the PBS app, the West Tennessee PBS YouTube c and on westtnpbs.org, and you ca the conversation going.

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