Maggie says:
Huge thanks to Marjorie and her wonderful family for welcoming me into the Yamboree fold last weekend. Amazingly, a festival inspired by the yam managed to not just surpass, but to blow away all the hype m-pyre has spent years building around it. So it goes without saying that this is no typical vegetable celebration. Start with yams, sure, but throw in a parade with gowns and fanfare, sprinkle in some carnival rides and livestock, mix in some fiddling and country-western dancing on the square, add to that folks coming from far and wide to see and be seen in downtown Gilmer, and finish off with Marjorie's parents and sisters. Spectacular any way you look at it.
Erik and I met Marjorie from points south and west for the weekend and were immediately swept up by family fun. There were some tough choices over the weekend ("I don't have room for the turkey leg and the funnel cake - which one should I get?!"), some unconquered quests (that elusive orange tie-dyed "Peace Love and Yams" Yamboree t-shirt), and a high school football game unforgettable for both the final score and the local culture embodied in the experience.
Erik and I subtitled the weekend the "Marjorie Heritage Tour" for good reason. I think Erik's going to work on the audio guide so it'll be ready for next year's newcomers ("Here we are at the house Marjorie lived in during her high school years in Longview, TX"). That's right, folks: next year. We'll be there, will you?
A sprinkling of our photos:
PS: By request only, I have a picture of Yam Queen eyeing Marjorie during the livestock auction. It's a classic!!!
|