40th Deer Festival Is November 4

The Monticello–Jasper County Chamber of Commerce has been gearing up for our 40th Annual Deer Festival for the past few months.

The festival, which is held on the historic Square in downtown Monticello, will take place on Saturday, November 4, and feature arts & crafts, children’s activities, family fun, entertainment and a variety of food.

This year’s festival kicks off at 7:30 a.m. with the 9th Annual 5K Deer Dash/Walk and 1 mile Fun Run, taking participants through many of the historic downtown neighborhoods of Monticello.

Pre-registration for this event ends on October 27, at 5 p.m., however, a downloadable application is available on the Chamber of Commerce website, www.historic monticello.com .

Children and adults are encouraged to participate with awards given in each race by age group.

The race, once underway, will be followed by a wide array of musical entertainment throughout the day, beginning with the singing of our National Anthem at 8:30 a.m. Local musicians as well as regional entertainers will keep the spectators and festival attendees entertained.
Winners of the Deer Dash will be announced at 9:15 a.m. and vendors will sell arts, crafts, and a myriad of foods until 5 p.m.

There are many highlights to this year’s festival, including the Deer Derby, Venison Cook-off, and the crowning of the 2006-2007 Deer Festival Queen, scheduled for noon.
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Beginning at 1 p.m. will be another mainstay of the festival, the annual Deer Festival parade, following a route that begins at the Old Sewing Room, on Funderburg Drive at Short Street. The parade will travel up Southern Street to Greene Street where it will turn left, and continue to College Street turning left on College and again onto W. Washington and ending at the point of beginning.

Anyone who would like to participate and enter a float in this year’s parade is encouraged to do so. Deadline for entry is Friday, October 27, at 4 p.m.. Applications are available at the COC office on the Square.

New arts and crafts vendors are encouraged to participate in this year’s festival as several changes have been made over the past few years to encourage local and regional crafters to participate. Each crafter will be given a spot in the grass on the Downtown Square to exhibit and sell their wares. Some of the children’s activities will once again be located on the Rose Bowl Field.

A sampling of some of the food available at the festival includes fried fish, grilled and barbequed chicken, turkey legs, barbecue, venison, old-fashioned egg and cream sodas, blooming onions, gyros and a festival staple, funnel cakes.

For more information on any of the activities associated with the Deer Festival, contact Nancy Arnold Wood at the COC office, 706-468-8994 or Sage Edwards, Better Hometown Program, 706-468-1995 or visit the website.