OAKLAND — May the 4th be with you and may you put Oakland’s Yalo-Ribbon Festival on your calendars for May 4!
The Oakland Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce additional details for the Saturday, May 4, event.
The event was named in honor of the oak trees discovered by settlers and a play off the famous Yellow Ribbon song of welcome and redemption. And since Oakland is in Yalobusha County, the name Yalo-Ribbon was coined.
This year, because of a generous donation by the Ed and Becky Meek Foundation, the festival will have three great bands performing. The Meek Foundation is sponsoring in memory of Ed’s mother, Ernestine Priddy Meek, who lived and worked in Oakland in Ed’s early childhood, as well as his cousin and her husband, the late Fae Priddy Ross and Thomas Ross, who were also a part of the fabric of the town for many years.
The festival kicks off at 10 a.m. with arts and crafts vendors, food trucks and a community-wide yard sale. The live music starts at 1 p.m. with Jessey Higdon and Steve McGregory, followed by Üni at 2:30 p.m. and Keith Johnson & The Big Muddy Band at 4 p.m. Chairs may be set up beginning at 12:30 pm following the cake walk.
Vendors are scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., but may elect to stay through the end of the music performances.
This year’s Kid Zone will include all of the fun and games of previous years plus a mechanical bull ride.
In addition to the now traditional cake walk, there will be a town-wide yard sale going on as well. Cake walk tickets will be available at the chamber table and the cake walk will start at 11:30. To participate in the community yard sale, notify the chamber to reserve a spot or to get your address on the yard sale map.
The festival is chaired by Luanne Taylor Brooks with Sue Donohue Smith, Stephanie Patterson, Margaret Ross and Linda Ross Aldy as coordinators.
The festival brings vendors, food trucks, friends, family and community leaders together to celebrate Oakland. All activities take place in downtown Oakland, along Hickory, Holly and Oak streets.
More information will become available closer to the date. However, anyone who is interested in being a vendor or exhibitor sponsor can contact the chamber now at OaklandAreaChamber@gmail.com or on Facebook at Oakland Area Chamber.
