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photo by Scott Mims
Officials with the annual Peach Jam Jubilee estimated the crowd during Friday night’s concerts to be in excess of 7,000. The event, which is held in downtown Clanton, offers music and other entertainment along with vendors and booths from area businesses.
More than 7,000 attend Peach Jam Jubilee
Published Friday, June 26, 2009
Scorching heat and the threat of rain didn't keep approximately 7,000 people from attending the Peach Jam Jubilee Friday night in downtown Clanton.
Early in the evening, the notes of Wayne Langston's guitar echoed down Sixth Street as kids boarded breezy rides and downed snow cones to keep cool.
Photo by Justin Averette
This year’s Peach Jam Jubilee also featured a rock climbing wall.
Taking advantage of that traffic were 130 vendors selling food, colorful doodads and arts and crafts.
"It's great," said Matt Bellone, co-owner of T&M Sports Supplies in Smiths Station, Ala. "It's a lot of people, and a lot of buying customers. It's a good atmosphere."
While some vendors were selling goods, others were promoting awareness of good causes -- such as Child Protect Advocacy Center of Montgomery, which plans to open a satellite office in Clanton soon.
The group made hats out of paper sacks and sold them for $2 donations to support the center.
"We wanted to show support for the community, and we wanted to make people aware of the advocacy center that's going to be here in Clanton," said Jannah Bailey. "This also gives people the opportunity to support us."
Event coordinators had to turn away at least 50 vendors who inquired about setting up booths at the Peach Jam, according to Chilton County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Pennie Broussard.
"I'm well pleased with the attendance, considering the heat," Broussard said. "There was a 20-percent chance of rain earlier today, and it clouded up. Everything considered, it's a success."
She added that she appreciated everyone's support of the Peach Jam, which has gained popularity each year.
Sitting near the front row by the Corner Park stage were Benjie Abbott and his son, Hunter, who moved to Clanton from west Chilton County less than a year ago. It was their first Peach Jam.
"It's been a lot of fun so far. It's been more than I expected," Benjie Abbott said.
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Comments
Posted by kittycreek (anonymous) on June 27, 2009 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So what time is the parade on Sat.?
Posted by PrAaHe (anonymous) on June 27, 2009 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
think it just ended..
Posted by getbizi (anonymous) on June 27, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
For pete's sake, can't the parade be moved off of Hwy 31?? It ties up traffic and interferes with businesses who have paid for prime real estate.
Posted by November162000 (anonymous) on June 27, 2009 at 11:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I never have thought it was right to close a Federal Highway for something as unnecessary as a parade. There are plenty of other ways to route a parade that wouldn't inconvienience folks that need to get through town, and who likely could not care less about a peach parade.
Posted by KatherineReece (anonymous) on June 27, 2009 at 6:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth and dropped money into our donation jar!
Posted by November162000 (anonymous) on June 27, 2009 at 7:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Peach Jam was a lot of fun!
Posted by dixierider42 (anonymous) on June 28, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Peach Jam was a waste for alot of vendors. It was great for the music and entertainment. I just hope the economy picks up or we may not have many vendors next year.
Posted by thirdforce (anonymous) on June 28, 2009 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I participated in the Peach Jam as a vendor. We went in the hole. Everyone around me did too. One lady and her husband beside me drove from North Alabama to set up a booth. They made less than $10.00. Nobody was buying but everybody was looking. The economy is really the culprit. You can't really blame anyone for hanging on to the little bit of money they have!
Posted by dixierider42 (anonymous) on June 28, 2009 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I know it's the ecomony that hurt so bad for the vendors. I'm glad we are local and we had a booth, one behind us was from Birmingham, and said they rented a truck to bring their stuff, plus the booth rent, and did not sell enough to cover the expense. Like I said as far as entertainment and all it was great, but all the vendors was hurting for sales. Maybe next year jobs will be picked back up and it won't be so hard on everyone. One thing for sure Chilton County Peach Queens and alternates are all beautiful.
Posted by jchan (anonymous) on June 28, 2009 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
every year all i hear is the vendors don't make enough money to cover there expenses. but one vendor was told that is was wonderful and that she would do great. i told her that wasn't so true, that people in chilton county go to socialize at stuff like that not to shop. but when christmas village comes around all of chilton county is there shopping.
Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on June 28, 2009 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hmmmm, all these negative comments about the BIG EVENT. Was the purpose of this event, in it's infantcy and subsequent growth, to be an income generater for individuals, or was it to celebrate a good peach harvest? Because, I am hearing it was a good harvest, but hearing individuals complain because they didn't PROFIT from it's coat tails.
It's like folks sayng, "I would rather send my money to foreign car companies". Then blame the government because their 401k accounts are in double digit losses. Meanwhile those 401ks are heavily leaveraged in American companies. They don't understand they are their own worst enemy.
Posted by dixierider42 (anonymous) on June 28, 2009 at 8:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The chamber calls people asking them to rent booths and bring their items to help make this such a great event, the purpose is to profit not lose. At least vendors are out trying to make an honest living. Each one that rented a booth or purchased anything helped make it great. The negative is from people being out of work, and things being so unstable. The peach growers need profit also, that why those of us buy the delicious peaches, hope you've ordered some. Our items are home made not made in china.
Posted by KatherineReece (anonymous) on June 28, 2009 at 9:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting... we were only taking donations and selling our cookbook but we didn't go in the hole, of course we didn't have to travel far either. We didn't sell as many cookbooks as we'd have liked, but we took in enough money to make it worth our while. We did do better Saturday at our headstone cleaning and repair workshop at Rocky Mount but we figured we would since *everyone* coming to that event was interested in cemetery preservation. We did make some good contacts at the Peach Jam.
I would think the food vendors did pretty well, the ice cream vendor that was next to us was selling stuff left and right.
Our cookbook has been selling pretty well so far...
http://www.chiltoncemeteries.org/modules...
Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on June 28, 2009 at 9:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
dixie, you bring up a good point. The vendors are trying to make an "honest living". Yet most went into a negative income category. Not good business, if, this is how they make a living. Seems they would know that this event, being during the third week of June is extremely succeptible to weather. Heat and thunderstorms. Along with an average attendance of 6-8 thousand attendees, and, assuming 25% will purchase one to 10 items, the chance of being profitable is extremely low. Therefore, not good business sense. However, if these vendors do this to pick up some "side cash", then, in the spirit of celebrating a good mid-season peach harvest, the profit is a non-issue. As for the peaches, they originated, ironically in Asia. That was a cute joke on your part, albeit, I am sure it was unintentional. Yes, I know they are now grown here, cultivated, and processd by hispanics.
Back to the booths and vendors, they remind me of Jimmy Buffett's song, "Carnival World". One of the lines, "...bootleg Swatches, cardboard Gucci gear. Everybody's got something to sell...." And if you look, many of those crafts, trinkets, and T-shirts are pulled out of boxes that say Hecho en Mexico, Hecho en Honduras, and, (my favorite) MADE IN CHINA!
Posted by jchan (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 12:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My mother makes her living from doing nothing but craft shows and until the economy got into the shape that it's in she would make anywhere from $4 to $7,000.00 a show, just depending on where the show was and how big the show was. She still does well but not like she did. She travels all over like most of these vendors do. When you go to a new show it's a chance you take and I can promise you that those who didn't even make expenses will not be back. I just hope that they are able to keep it going.
Katerine- you are correct the food vendors in the court house parking lot were very busy, but the one down by Clanton Furniture didn't look like they were doing anything.
Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on June 29, 2009 at 8:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
kw, can't believe yer wife wadn't sellin' her std. and turbo fly swatters ...
Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 8:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sell'em!!! Heck! She gives'em away!!!! Welcome back! AGAIN!!! You're gonna have stop this and get more regular. Prayin' for you bro!
Posted by getbizi (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dude, you been sick or sumpin?
Posted by gkeys (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"You're gonna have stop this and get more regular."....Do you need Fiber? :-)
Posted by klw919 (Kevin West) on June 29, 2009 at 1:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Dude, Activia yogurt works miracles!!!!!!!!!
Posted by KatherineReece (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The ice cream dots vendor that was near Clanton Furniture was right by us, and they were either selling well or people just decided to stop right in front of them. When Jeff went to get some for our granddaughter -who was at the booth with us after hitting the kiddie area- it did take him a little while to come back so I assume they were selling well.
I don't know how their sales went but the people on the other side of us who had Alabama and Auburn stuff always had a good amount of people around their tent. I did notice a lot of vendors though who had very little traffic. I was surprised too at how FAST some of the people were walking through, like they were afraid to stop and look.
Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on June 29, 2009 at 2:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm tryin' kw ... and I'm workin' on that miracle klw (you & kw related?), but Activia ain't gonna do the trick, I'm afraid. Ya'll have been takin' care of business, so I've just been keeping my nose clean.
Posted by jchan (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 4:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
katherine- the one that i was talking about was set up in the middle of the road. they had hotdogs in the crock pots. the lady that had the childrens clothing said that she did ok. but she said that if it wasn't for her having those, that she wouldn/t have made any money. but she had a wonderful price on those outfits.
Posted by kwsrgraves (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 6:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dude, klw and I graduated high school together and the KW is my wife, I am the SR part. But, if you look at klw's and my senior portrait, you might think we were related.
As for the miracle, have faith, and keep praying. I've seen it work. Ironically, I spent the whole day in a 15 ft deep duct bank with my 26 year old apprentice, telling me he was raised catholic, but, now, is athiest. He claims the Discovery Channel proved his point. And GOD didn't help when his wife left, child got sick and he was in financial trouble. I told him God was keeping me from killing him at the moment. Not for his beliefs, but, because it was 115°, and I was doing all the work while he whined.
God will take care of you. I am sorry for opening this door, but, brother the more prayers can't hurt. God's plan for someone else may be used through you. Keep the faith bro!
Posted by PhilBurnette (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 10:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dude, you have our prayers as well...
Posted by KatherineReece (anonymous) on June 29, 2009 at 11:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wish I'd have time to stroll around myself .. I missed the booth with the children's clothes at the wonderful price. Anna needs some more clothes at Grandma's house, she's taken on weed like growth spurts lately!
Posted by klw919 (Kevin West) on June 30, 2009 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good job there Graves....... couldn't have said it better....... although I pity you, especially if you admit we have a resemblence
Posted by TheDude (Michael Wells) on June 30, 2009 at 9:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Now that wuz funny. Thanks for the words, fella Dudes. Always lookin' ahead ... I still don't like this 4 day (no story) binge the web part of the Clanton Advertiser goes on from Friday through Monday. They put the new weekend edition out which takes place of new stories for 4 days on the web. This allows the on-line posters to tally up numerous comments on 3 to 4 day old stories. That gets stagnant and is not good for the human brain. Then the agitator's come out from under heir rocks and make fools of themselves.
Posted by blackwater (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 3:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I had alot of fun at the Jam. I heard some vendor's applications were turned down because there was no more room. Maybe the one's there next year will have something worth buying. No offense to anyone that sold items at the Jam, but I just didn't see anything that I couldn't pass up. I do agree that Chilton Co. residents attend events like these to socialize and not shop. Maybe it's better not to expect to make a pocket full of money and you won't be so disappointed. I hope the free admission stays the same, unless the quality of the line-up improves. I would consider paying admission for bigger acts.
Posted by KatherineReece (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 7:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We had a friend that drove up from Fort Walton Beach and attended the Peach Jam. One thing he did mention was that he couldn't find anything at the Jam that was peach related. There were no peaches for sale, no peach products of any sort that he could find. He was very impressed overall and had a great time, but he did think it odd that he had to wait and go to one of the fruit stands the next day to buy any peaches.
Posted by MomOf2 (anonymous) on July 1, 2009 at 5:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Katherine, Durbin's had a booth selling produce and peach ice cream and Culp Farms was there too selling peaches. So sorry your friend missed them, the peach ice cream really hit the spot on such a hot day.
Posted by KatherineReece (anonymous) on July 1, 2009 at 12:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Momof2 -- Maybe my friend was walking too fast along with everyone else! LOL
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