After two year break Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival will be bigger than before

POPLARVILLE, Miss. – Poplarville will be treated to a sweet event this October as the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival (SMTF) hits downtown once again.

The festival will take place on and around Poplarville’s Town Green over two days, Oct. 7 and 8.

Whether sweet tea evokes happy memories of long front porch sitting or you are brand new to the beverage, the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival is the place to be to enjoy a variety of fun events, culinary experiences, shopping opportunities and much more.

There will be a plethora of vendors happy to share their passions with attendees. Vendors will open for business at 11 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday with events closing down at 6 p.m. both days.

Special events throughout the festival include an art walk, farm-to-table dinner, high tea, sweet tea drinking contest, sweet tea tasting contest and a variety of entertainment.

“After a two-year hiatus we are very excited to bring back the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival,” said SMTF Director, Jacob Cochran. “Our committee chairs are working diligently to ensure that this year’s festival is even bigger than the first year. With over 100 vendors having already applied, we are excited to see a great turn out for this event.”

ART WALK

Immerse yourself in artistry as you mosey through the SMTF Art Walk. This portion of the festivities will take place Saturday, Oct. 8. You will have the opportunity to view various mediums of art as well as purchase items for your own collection. The festival already has several fine art vendors committed to the event with room for more.

If you would like to apply to showcase your fine art at the festival you can visit www.smteafest.com.

FARM-TO-TABLE DINNER

Join the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival for a unique dining experience of farm-fresh cuisine at this outdoor farm-to-table dinner. This event will be held Friday, Oct. 7 with a reception beginning at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. The locally sourced ingredients are sure to dazzle attendees’ senses in the heart of downtown Poplarville as local chef Jenna Pecoraro presents a carefully curated menu for the occasion.

“Everything tastes better fresh,” Founding SMTF member and farm-to-table dinner coordinator April Grecho said. “I’ve been wanting to provide a farm-to-table dinner opportunity featuring local producers throughout Pearl River County and the surrounding areas for some time. I want to share with people the feeling of being able to look down at your plate and know exactly where your food came from.”

Tickets for this event will go on sale September 1 on the SMTF website. Tickets will be $150 per person including two complimentary beverage tokens for the reception, a four-course dinner and live music.

Grecho feels that knowing where food comes from bridges the gap between farm to table. Having this connection develops a healthy relationship with food allowing people to appreciate and respect that food is not indispensable.

“Events like this not only help the local economy, but they’re also a great way to connect with the farm itself,” Grecho said. “During the dinner, people will learn more about the specific farms that supplied their ingredients, so they can understand which farms they’re supporting and hopefully continue to support these farms for their own meals at home.”

HIGH TEA

The High Tea, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 8 between 4-6 p.m., will showcase a variety of tasty treats and teas for attendees’ enjoyment. New Orleans band Tuba Skinny will be featured.  Admission will include light, southern style dining, entertainment, hat contest and of course lots of tea.  This year’s event will be themed “Grand-millennial”. You’re encouraged to don your gloves, hats and any theme fitting attire but it is not required for this casual outdoor high tea on the Town Green.

Tickets to this event will be $30 per person with a limited amount being sold and will go on sale September 1 on the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival website.

SWEET TEA CONTESTS

Do you have a sweet tea recipe that you think is the best? You are encouraged to enter the Sweet Tea Tasting competition at the SMTF. The Sweet Tea Tasting competition will take place during both days of the festival with guests paying $5 for a tasting cup, map of participating tea entries and voting tokens. Participants may cast their votes by placing their tokens in their favorite tea’s corresponding jar. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the festival on Saturday.

Those interested in entering their famous sweet tea in the contest may do so by visiting www.smsteafest.com and filling out the contest form.

If drinking sweet tea is more your style, then set your sights on entering the SMTF Tea Drinking competition with more information on this event to come soon. 

SPONSORSHIP

Get excited as the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival approaches in 7 short weeks. All events happening during the festival Oct. 7 and 8 would not be possible without the support of generous sponsors.

“We are happy to provide this to our community but can’t do it without sponsors,” Cochran said. “Festivals like this boost tourism to Poplarville, in turn boosting the sales of our local businesses. That’s something I think everyone would want to be a part of.”

If you would like to take part in this fun filled festival by way of a sponsorship, please feel free to reach out to SMTF representatives at info@smteafest.com.

Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival returns to downtown Poplarville

Poplarville can expect a sweet treat this fall in the form of the Sweet
Mississippi Tea Festival returning to downtown.

Organizers are looking forward to a fun event as the festival has been
approved for the upcoming dates of October 8-9 2021.

“The planning committee for this year's SMTF is very excited to host this
year's tea festival in Poplarville,” SMTF co-founder and board member Jeff
Brown said. “We know many of you enjoyed the event we hosted in 2019 and
know this year will be even better with more events to look forward to.”

In working toward the two day festival, organizers have named Poplarville
local, Jacob Cochran, as Director of the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival.

Cochran is looking forward to building upon the success of the festival’s
debut in 2019 by adding even more events and making adjustments based on
attendees’ feedback.

“We want to expand advertising to make sure everyone is aware of the event
and feels welcome to join in,” Cochran said. “We will also have exhibitors
open during the time of the on stage performances to ensure larger crowds
and a fun atmosphere for everyone.”

The SMTF is a two day festival that was originally born out of an interest
in a cooler weather festival for locals to enjoy, while creating
opportunities to boost local charities and foster positive partnerships
within the community.

“We are excited that the city secured the grant to build the City Square
Pavilion,” Cochran said. “This gives our musical acts a covered stage on
which to perform. We love seeing these developments being that one of the
goals of this festival is to boost that feeling of a downtown that is
alive.”

FESTIVITIES

Along with arts and food vendors, the festival will include the return of
the high tea sponsored by the Women’s Club of Poplarville and spearheaded
by member Katrina Mizell.

Mizell won Women of the Year in 2020 for her continuous efforts in raising
several thousand dollars for the organization. The club subsequently placed
third in the state for fundraising.

“Katrina is a lifelong friend of mine,” Cochran said. “I’ve seen what she
has done for the community and I know that she will make sure things run
smoothly and efficiently.”

The high tea will be themed. Tables will be decorated accordingly and live
music will accompany the event.

A newcomer to the event lineup will be a farm-to-table dinner the Friday
night of the festival. A chef will plan the menu by working with local
farms to create a unique and delicious experience.

“There has already been a lot of buzz around the farm to table event even
in the planning stage,” Cochran said. “I’m honestly anticipating tickets
to sell out as soon as they go on sale.”

The idea came from SMTF board member April Grecho’s participation in
farm-to-table events and her interest in bringing that experience to
Poplarville.

The festival was also approved during the latest city board meeting to
offer the sale of beer and light wine during this year’s festivities.

There are other events in the works to create partnerships with local
charities and organizations while providing a fun and inviting atmosphere
for this year’s patrons.

Several local businesses and individuals have committed to supporting the
SMTF and the organization is still in the process of accepting
sponsorships. Anyone interested in a sponsorship can email
info@smteafest.com.

Poplarville to host second annual Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival

POPLARVILLE, Miss. — It was decided Tuesday at a city meeting that Poplarville’s second annual Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival will be held October 16 &17 2020. 

HOW IT BEGAN

The Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival was originally born out of an interest in a cooler weather festival for locals to enjoy, while creating opportunities to boost local charities and foster positive partnerships within the community. 

“The festival last year was bigger and better than we even expected,” Poplarville Mayor Rossie Creel said. “It generated a lot of excitement in the community. The festival was well thought out and put together. The board is full of people that think outside of the box and they did a fantastic job putting on the festival.

“We look forward to a successful event this year and watching it grow from here on out.”

Jeff Brown and Donald Van de Werken were instrumental in the production of Poplarville’s inaugural SMTF. Brown and Van de Werken are co-owners of the local J&D Blueberry and Tea Farm and Brown is also Poplarville’s Current Chamber of Commerce President. 

"We knew that Poplarville would be a perfect place to have a tea festival with its small town feel but we also knew it was growing and evolving," Brown said. "Almost 3,000 people attended during the two days and we received great feedback. We are hoping that the situation surrounding COVID-19 will be better for everyone and that CDC guidelines and safety protocols allow us to hold our event safely."

2019 TURNOUT

In 2019 the festival hosted over 40 exhibitors including leather crafters, woodworkers, painters and live music throughout.  An art walk was accompanied by other interactive events such as a highly competitive sweet tea drinking contest, games, and a sweet tea brewing competition voted on by attendees. 

"One thing I observed last year was that people spent time walking through the festival listening to music, sampling products, and seeing what vendors had to offer," Brown said. "It was a testimony of how enticing the festival was. It brought a lot of people together from different perspectives and backgrounds to enjoy one blended community feeling."

The SMTF also partnered with the Poplarville Women’s Club to host a high tea which included food catered by Poplarville High School’s culinary students. During the event a best tea hat competition was held and attendees flaunted festive headwear. 

"I spent the weekend walking around town enjoying the live music, the homemade crafts from vendors, and the relaxed small town feel that the festival gave," 2019 Sweet Tea Drinking Contest Winner Sawyer Walters said. "I was especially excited to be able to enter the a sweet tea drinking competition and receive the title of the Undefeated Mississippi Sweet Tea Drinking Champion. 

"I can’t wait to see what’s in store this year. Come challenge me for my title and I hope to see you all there."

LOOKING AHEAD

When Brown talks about the vision for the 2020 festival he looks forward to involving communities in surrounding areas and continuing to incorporating new tea related elements into the event.

"We had great sponsors last year and we hope to reach out to surrounding communities to get businesses enthused about being a part of the festival as well," Brown said. "We also want to bring in more information about the tea process itself including not only the growing process but how the tea is actually blended together."

The festival coordinators look forward to bringing back favorite events as well as offering new and exciting opportunities for locals to enjoy. 

"I have been working closely with this years graphic designer, Corey Guerra, to develop our overall brand and to ensure that every aspect of the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival receives the attention to detail that it deserves," Marketing Committee Chair Jacob Cochran said. "I don’t want to say too much but patrons can expect the High Tea to be a much bigger event this year and we are also adding a farm-to-table style dinner.

"We have had new exhibitors contacting us to reserve their spots. We foresee the festival doubling in size from last year."

For more information about the festival visit www.smteafest.com. Those interested in learning how to get involved can email info@smteafest.com. 

For the latest news on the Sweet Mississippi Tea Festival visit www.smteafest.com and follow us on Facebook ​and Instagram (@SweetMississippiTeaFestival).