City Is Buzzing With Final Preparations
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The Water Valley Chamber of Commerce of Commerce treated city workers to pizza at Hometown Pizza Friday to express appreciation for their hard work getting everything ready for the carnival.
DAVE’S WORLD
By David Howell
The town is buzzing with activity as preparation for the big weekend is in high gear. The Blue Devil football team helped prepare City Park, property owners are tidying up and the city crews are putting in long hour cutting grass. Street Department Superintendent Mike Scroggins is at the helm of city preparation and his crew has been battling for weeks to keep up with the grass, an uphill battle with all of the recent rain.
Speaking during a special meeting last Tuesday at city hall, Scroggins told aldermen that his crew is stretched, handling duties for multiple departments. The board authorized hiring two part-time workers to help him, but he said it still may not be enough.
“I don’t think we are going to be up to par like we have been in the past,” he told city officials about preparations for the carnival.
Ready or not, one thing is for sure – the city has many dedicated workers who take pride in their work and we are all very appreciative of everything they do.
Even though the cooler days that brought rain made Mike’s job harder, it sure was a nice reprieve from the oppressive heat. It would have been nice if it this weather could have lasted another week. I can only remember one carnival when a nice cool front greeted carnival goers and that was 20 years ago in 2004. A few people brought blankets to the park that Friday night, a rare occurrence for an August evening.
Speaking of 20 years, after attending every carnival since 2004 (except the Covid year), I decided to put this experience to good use composing the Herald’s “unofficial” carnival checklist for a fun weekend. The weekend itinerary starts Friday around noon with the first stroll through City Park. Many of the vendors will be set up and ready to see you, and this first stop should include one of those delicious corn dogs, funnel cake or other carnival favorite. There is nothing like a bite of carnival cuisine to get your juices flowing for the big weekend, even if it hits your pocketbook hard.
You are on your own for the next few hours for shopping in the park, but remember to pace yourself to keep from fading in the heat. You will want to make sure to report to the Central Street stage just before six for the opening ceremony. Mayor Tommy Reynolds will welcome the crowd and the Watermelon Royalty will be introduced. It is probably not a bad idea to bring your chairs with you to get set up for the Street Dance, some of the choice spots closest to the stage will already be filling up.
Trust me, if you have never attended the Watermelon Drop, this is the highlight of the opening events. Be sure to make it to the intersection of Central and North Court streets a little before 6:15.
The best carnival experience each year comes as the temperature starts falling (a little) Friday night when the music is blaring and the park is packed.
There are also plenty of carnival gatherings outside the park as visiting is in full swing for many who enjoy the action from a distance. And you don’t have to be in the park to enjoy the next event as the BankFirst Fireworks Show illuminates the entire city at 9 p.m. The fireworks come during the intermission for the Street Dance. The music continues until 11 p.m. and then it is time to head home to get rested for another big day if you are going to soak in all the fun!
Any real carnival-goer should rise early for the BankFirst 3K Run/Walk that starts at 7:30. Although my job is to take pictures at the run each year, I’m sure there is nothing like a little morning exercise to start your day.
Next door at the Casey Jones Railroad Museum the Water Valley Lions Club will start serving breakfast even earlier, as hot pancakes, sausage, orange juice and coffee will be ready at 6 a.m. You better get there early, because this is a very popular event.
Once you get your belly full, the next stop on the Herald’s carnival checklist is a walk through Shuffield Park to enjoy the annual car show. There are plenty of shiny oldies to check out. It’s probably a good idea to avoid temptation here, all of those beautiful vehicles will give you an itch for your own classic hotrod. The vintage vehicles will start lining up for the annual parade that rolls through town at 11 a.m.
After enjoying the action in the middle of the city, it is time to head back to City Park. The Chamber has a talented lineup of musicians who will perform at the gazebo throughout the day.
The official carnival checklist continues with a quick trip to purchase a Taster’s Choice ticket behind Renasant Bank. If you are lucky enough to snag one of 100 tickets, you can partake in some of the finest barbecue cooking in the world as part of the Train Tracks Pork Attack BBQ Contest. The food should be ready around noon and the ticket purchases a sampling from each team signed up in this category.
Be sure to keep a check on the time, you need to be back over at the gazebo a little before noon for the biggest event of the day. The big watermelons will be lined up for judging at high noon.
For a little added fun, get in on the auction that follows as the prize-winning watermelons are offered to the public. If you don’t have enough of those long-wheel-base $10 bills in your wallet, you can always stand behind one of your deep-pocketed friends and bid for him (or her).
With the sun bearing down, hydration is a must and my favorite “energy” drink is one of those tall lemonades available from carnival vendors. You can’t spend the day at the Watermelon Carnival without tasting a sweet watermelon. Cayce Washington and his family will be serving free melon slices at the southwest corner of City Park at 1 p.m.
The remaining afternoon hours are for shopping, visiting, listening to music and enjoying carnival food. If you are brave, and make it all afternoon, the winners of the Train Tracks Pork Attack BBQ Contest will be announced at 5 at the gazebo.
Next on the list, at least for me, is a shower and a short nap. The shower is a must, but the nap is optional!
