The annual Catfish Festival held in historic downtown Kingsland draws over 75,000 people over three days.
This festival celebrates catfish, and you just have to taste the catfish served at this event. How do they do it? Who knows, it’s actually a secret recipe that has been used for years. But we do know that 10,000 pounds of farm-raised catfish is prepared for the festival, so you know that this is a popular dish at the festival. The catfish go on sale at 12:00 noon on Saturday and Sunday and 11:00 a.m. on Labor Day. Other menu items include the famous deep-fried onion blossoms, oriental fare, barbecue, and homemade ice cream.
The festival opens, as many festivals do, on Saturday, September 5th with a 5K run so you can work up an appetite and really make room for those 10,000 pounds of catfish. Booths filled with art, antiques, crafts and collectibles will open at noon on Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. on Labor Day.
During the three days from Saturday September 5 – Monday September 7, people will flood the streets of downtown Kingsland, Georgia to browse over hundreds of arts and crafts and antiques, sample the foods of nearly 30 different food vendors, and most importantly, sit down to enjoy farm-raised Southern Fried Catfish, hushpuppies, grits, coleslaw, and sweetened iced tea.
Schedule of Events
Saturday, September 5, 2009
7:30am 5K Run Registration begins at 6:45AM and ends at 7:10 AM on Saturday September 5, 2009 at the corner of Williams
Avenue and Highway 17. The run will start promptly at 7:30 AM, rain or shine at the Municipal Office on Williams Avenue.
Official Annual Labor Day Catfish Festival T-shirt will be given to the first 20 PRE-REGISTERED participants. Race applications
are available for pickup at the Kingsland Welcome Center and Kingsland City Hall.
12:00pm Official Festival Start Time, Festival area opens: Children’s Amusement Area, Arts & Crafts Booths,
Antiques & Collectibles and Food Vendors Catfish Festival Dinners includes coleslaw, hushpuppies,
grits & iced tea – $10.00 Catfish Nuggets includes French fries – $8.00
6:00pm Festival Closes
Sunday, September 6, 2009
12:00pm Festival Opens, Children’s Amusement Area, Arts & Crafts Booths, Antiques & Collectibles and Food
Vendors Catfish Dinners includes coleslaw, hushpuppies, grits & iced tea- $10.00 available
Catfish Nuggets includes French fries – $8.00
1:45pm Free Concert at Main Stage Area Featuring Local Church & Gospel Groups including Jericho Road,
Kingsland 1st United Methodist Chamber Choir, & On the Edge Band
6:00pm Festival Closes
Monday, September 7, 2009
7:00am –11:00am
Lion’s Club Pancake Breakfast – Tickets $4.00 each, include: Tall Stack of Fresh Pancakes, Thick
Southern Bacon, Sausage Patties, Coffee & Juice
9:00am Festival Opens, Children’s Amusement Area, Arts & Crafts Booths, Antiques & Collectibles and Food
Vendors
10:00am Official Annual Catfish Festival Parade , Hwy 17 South
Floats should be decorated with a theme of your choice. Lineup will begin at 9:30am on Highway 17 at Boone St. in Kingsland.
Parade applications are available for pickup at the Kingsland Welcome Center and Kingsland City Hall.
11:00am Festival Awards Ceremony (Main Stage Area) Antique / Classic Car, Truck & Tractor Exhibition
Catfish Festival Dinners includes coleslaw, hushpuppies, grits & iced tea – $10.00
Catfish Nuggets includes French fries – $8.00
1:45pm Free Concert at Main Stage Area Featuring Local Bands including Cumberland Blues Kings, Trigger
Happy Los guitaros sicarios , On the Edge Band
6:00pm Festival Closes
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We interviewed Tonya Rosado about the Catfish Festival in 2008. The video is included below.
