53rd Annual Deer Festival

Caela Cook was crowned Deer Festival queen at the Jasper County Deer Festival Saturday, and Kensley Ann Lindsey was named first runner-up. Previously crowned were Isabel White, Deer Festival Princess (left) and Claire Raelynn Tapley, Little Miss Fawn. The crowning took place at noon of the Deer Festival Saturday.

The festival began with a fun run at 7:30 a.m., followed by the Deer Dash 5K at 8 a.m. By the time everyone finished the Deer Dash, awards were given out, and all vendors were set up ready to sell their wares. The weather was perfect, and most of the 138 vendors reported a good day.

This was the first year the stage was off the Square, and it was still crowded.

Raffle winners included J. B. Evans who won the quilt from the Jasper Memorial Hospital Auxiliary; Laura Walls who won the 50/50 raffle sponsored by the JCHS Band Boosters, Allen Green who won the Deer Festival Quilt; Patricia Slavens who won the Chamber Gun Raffle, for a Henry 30/30 Rifle.

Also, Trail Cam Contest Winner was Derek Snead, and winners of the Jasper County Food Bank Raffle were Clint Bell who won a deer blind, and W. Davis, who won the Yeti Cooler. Alan Black of Hillsboro again won the Deer Dash 5K, and the first female finisher was Linsey Shockley of Mansfield.