Work up an appetite, because Syrup Soppin' Day is almost here.
Loachapoka's 40th-annual Syrup Soppin' Day will be held Saturday in Loachapoka Park. The day's activities will start at 6 a.m.
"We'll have sausage and biscuits courtesy of Hardee's first thing in the morning," said Mathan Holt, president of Syrup Soppin' Day Inc. "The mules will start grinding the sugar cane at 7 a.m., and the live band will start playing at 8 a.m."
Holt said there is no cost to attend the event.
"There will be vendors inside the gates selling their artwork and goods, but the food and entertainment will be free," Holt said.
Holt said the profit Syrup Soppin' Inc. earns from the parking fee, which is $5 per car at the Loachapoka Community Center, will go toward several projects throughout the year.
"We raise money for our local volunteer fire department and for Loachapoka High School," Holt said. "Proceeds will also go toward our scholarship foundation and our Christmas fruit basket program."
Holt said there will be several art vendors at the event.
"All of the artwork and goods sold here is unusual and unique," Holt said. "None of these products can be found at Walmart."
Holt said the event will have several attractions that will appeal to attendees of all ages.
"We'll have bounce houses, a petting zoo, rock walls and bungee jumping for the kids," Holt said. "The adults really enjoy our live bluegrass and country bands and watching the mules grind the sugar cane to make syrup."
Mitchell said the two syrup mills with mules grinding the cane to extract the sugar juice will be a big crowd-pleaser.
"The juice will be cooked down to syrup at the festival," Mitchell said. "It'll be prepared the way it was traditionally a hundred years ago."
Syrup Soppin' Day always attracts a large crowd, Holt said.
"If it's a pretty day, we could have as many as 25,000 people attend," he said.
Charles Mitchell, vice president of the Lee County Historical Society, said this event is a community effort.
"The Loachapoka Syrup Soppin' organization soley relies on the efforts of their volunteers," Mitchell said. "No one affiliated with Syrup Soppin' Inc. gets paid for the work they put into this annual event."
Holt said though University students haven't been much involved in the past, he would love for them to help at this festival and promote the Auburn spirit.
For more information on the Syrup Soppin' Day, visit the organization's website at www.syrupsopping.org.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
