Homespun 2019 still fun, but rain cuts it short over weekend

Another year of the Homespun Festival meant another year of homemade arts and crafts, fresh food, and plenty of local music for Polk citizens who flocked to Seaborne Jones park by the hundreds.

The event is one of Rockmart’s most notable traditions, and while it focuses primarily on crafts, the event has evolved to include entertainers and vendors of all sorts. Clothing, tumblers, baby items, paintings, and all sorts of knick-knacks were sold throughout the day, but locals could also be seen spending time at the petting zoo, taking turns riding the horse, and jumping to their hearts content on the bungee-cord trampolines.

Regardless of how they spent the day, there was no shortage of food to keep locals full and happy. Barbecue, boiled peanuts, frozen lemonade, hot dogs, hamburgers, tacos, ribs, nachos, and funnel-cakes were just a few of the items locals could be seen eating during the day.

The second day of the festival did ultimately get canceled due to the rising creek and bad weather, but rain didn’t stop local non-profits from bringing news and details about their organization straight to locals on Friday. Groups such as the Our House Women’s Shelter, CASA of Polk and Haralson Counties, and the Life Matters Outreach were handing out pamphlets and speaking to citizens even with dark clouds overhead.

The musicians also held strong, and the sounds of country, rock, and gospel were provided by the likes of the Bellwether Worship Band and Leah Kaye. Special thanks are owed to Gospel Night sponsor Sherman Ross State Farm.

Rain also meant Saturday events like the helicopter rides, the parade, and the duck race were postponed, but with the first day of the festival as busy as it was, locals still seemed content. The Rotary Club also still plans to do the duck race later in the fall, though no specific date has been selected.

It’s unclear if the second day of Homespun will simply be rescheduled, but even if fireworks didn’t close out the festivities this year, Polk citizens still got to come together for at least one day this weekend. A decision on whether fireworks will be rescheduled in the near future is still up for the Chamber board and Redmond Regional Medical Center to decide.

The Rome-based hospital made a donation this year to make fireworks a possibility. The two organizations will work together to determine what to do about a make-up date for fireworks after forthcoming meetings to discuss.

Businesses that helped make the event possible include premier sponsor Redmond Regional Medical Center, stage sponsor Floyd Medical Center, and Parade Sponsor Waste Industries. Georgia Power serves as the Power Up! Generator sponsor and Peach State Ford plans to sponsor the Chamber’s photos taken during the event.

Updates about the event can be found by visiting www.facebook.com/ HomespunFestival/.

sean Williams A petting zoo was part of the fun for youth on Friday night, July 19 at the Homespun Festival in Rockmart.

Chamber board members volunteered to offer assistance to patrons and vendors alike at the 42nd annual Homespun Festival in Rockmart on July 19.

Vendors were setup by the afternoon and waiting for the crowds to come take part in the Homespun Festival in Rockmart on July 19.

Vendors were setup in Seaborn Jones Park for the first evening of Homespun 2019, which was gospel night for the annual event.

above: Youth got the chance to swing and bounce around on rides in Seaborn Jones Park in Rockmart during Homespun 2019 on Friday evening, July 19. left: Youth were given the chance to take pony rides in Seaborn Jones Park in Rockmart during Homespun 2019.