Dumplin' Festival axed
WINFIELD — The annual Appalachian Dumplin’ Festival is the latest victim of an economic recession that has pushed Scott County’s unemployment rate to more than 15% and prompted the federal government into hundreds of billions of dollars in economic stimulus efforts.
The Town of Winfield, which hosts the annual Memorial Day weekend festival, announced Friday that this year’s event has been canceled. Mayor Kenny Burchfield cited the troubled economic times when making the decision.
“With the rising cost of financing such an event and the global effects of the current economic situation, we feel at this time we would be imposing on our sponsors who help fund the Appalachian Dumplin’ Festival each year,” Burchfield said. “For that reason, we regretfully have postponed this year’s festival.”
The festival, which started in the mid 1980s as part of Tennessee’s Homecoming ‘86 celebration, features live music, crafts and food each year. The festival’s committee had been actively planning for this year’s festival. Several local singers and bands had already been scheduled to perform, including South 27, Jared Griffith, Jimmy & Sarah Byrd, and Odell Brummett. The Town of Winfield expressed its apologies to those entertainers.
The town’s Board of Mayor & Aldermen also recognized Lushia King, Robyn McBroom, Teresa Buttram, Paul Strunk, Doug Wilson, Andy Davis and Shelley Duncan for their work on the festival committee.