Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Hummingbird Festival returned to Hogansville this past weekend and hosted 206 vendors from across the state. After a year away due to the pandemic, the festival returned at full force with a wide array of food, vendors and events.

Vendors included a wide array of items including hand-carved golf balls, handmade jewelry boxes and clothes, and items for home and garden décor.

Kids were able to play throughout the festival including riding ponies, getting their faces painted, and riding a train through the streets of Hogansville.

This year was Hogansville City Manager Jonathan Lynn’s first year aiding the festival on behalf of the city. When asked how he felt to help and attend the event, Lynn reflected on both the size of the festival and the people he interacted with during it.

“You don’t understand how big it is until you see it,” he said. “People are just happy whether you’re shopping or eating or you’re listening to the DJ.”

He also touched on the impact that this festival has on the city of Hogansville.

“It is such a big economic driver. It’s obviously our biggest festival, so it’s nice,” Lynn said.

Those who put on the festival work closely with the city and utilized several different city employees throughout this weekend’s event.

“If we didn’t have the city employees, we couldn’t do this,” said Mary Stewart, one of the founders and head volunteers for the Hummingbird Festival.

Stewart also spoke on the impact that the pandemic had on the festival this year.

“We lost some vendors. They didn’t die, but members of their family or they got sick. I had one vendor call me a couple of weeks ago. She said, ‘I can’t come I’m sick. I’ve lost seven members of my family’,” Stewart said. 

Jason Stewart, a member of the committee for the festival, said he felt extremely pleased with the weekend overall.

“It went great, one of the best ones ever. Attendance was off the charts and from talking to vendors,” Stewart said.

“It was just very successful for them as well. A lot of vendors sold out of product.”