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Catfish Festival brings new season in St. Stephen BY DAN BROWN The Independent
hile the weather may disagree, the calendar says spring has arrived. And in Berkeley County, spring officially arrives with the annual St. Stephen Catfish Festival. The Catfish Festival will run from April 5-7 and feature some old and new faces to entertain and wow more than 30,000 visitors to St. Stephen over the festival’s three days. According to festival organizer, Johnny Broome, many of the festival favorites are back again this year. “We have the magician Ricker M., who will walk around the festival grounds performing
various magic tricks for kids and magic fans of all ages,” Broome said. Ricker M. is a magical entertainer performing professionally since 1979. “He delivers his shows with humor and interaction that get e v e r y o n e William Truesdale involved in the act,” Broome said. “He is also an accomplished balloonist, juggler and puppeteer. He’ll be available all three days of the festival.” Broome added that Miss Jingles the clown will also be back this year with a face painting booth.
“Miss Jingles has always been a crowd favorite here,” he said. The festival begins Friday afternoon April 5, at 4 p.m. and will continue through Sunday evening at 7 p.m. The festival will present all local fare, crafts and food for the Kendra Scott public to enjoy. While the annual undertaking may be made up of fun and games, the importance of the festival can’t be denied. “The Catfish Festival puts the town of St. Stephen out to the community and reflects what the town stands for,” said St. Stephen resident
William Truesdale. “Each year the festival has more food and craft vendors. “The festival grows progressively larger each year.” Kendra Scott from St. Stephen said the Catfish Festival provided fun for the whole family. “It gets people together, grown-up and kids for a day of fun,” she said. The three-day event is free and open to the public. All the standard Catfish Festival favorites will be present in the days ahead, including the annual Cake Walk, Sweet Pea contest and Catfish Stew Cook Off Saturday afternoon. More than 20 food vendors will be on hand to provide the same fare the Catfish Festival has enjoyed for years to include funnel cakes and hand-dipped corn dogs, gyro wraps and frozen treats to name a few. “We have a large variety of great food available every year,” Broome said.
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Catfish Festival Q&A What is your favorite memory of the Catfish Festival? Tara Jackson (St. Stephen): “When the Catfish Festival first started I was 13 years old. I had my face painted at one of the vendors, and my picture was taken and it was published in the B e r k e l e y Independent newspaper.”
Dan Brown/Independent
Tara Jackson
Macedonia Middle School Principal Janie Langley rides the Scrambler with Raegan Claridge and her sister Addisa Claridge (in rear car). “Sometimes carnivals and festivals like these are the only chance many of these kids get a chance to enjoy a day like this,” Langley said.
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The Carolina Dancers, a local line dancing troupe, entertains the crowd in 2012. Dan Brown/Independent
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Charsetta Graham of Charleston of Delaysha’s Jewelry Box at the 2012 Catfish Festival. Frank Johnson/Independent
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Great food is a staple of the Catfish Festival.
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Frank Johnson/Independent
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Frank Johnson/Independent
Katelynn and Dylan McMakin of Jamestown are all smiles at last year’s festival.
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Frank Johnson/Independent
Makenzie Solis and Jayden Dorsett of Summerville enjoy a ride on “Frolic” at the 2012 Catfish Festival.
Frank Johnson/Independent
Gail Freeman and Markie Smith Moncks Corner display handmade jewelry at last year’s Catfish Festival.
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Weather forecast better than 2012 for festival BY DAN BROWN The Independent
his year’s Catfish Festival should avoid the fate of last year’s rain-soaked event that saw the weather hold attendance under its average. Still, anyone wondering about the weather forecast for the 21st Annual Catfish Festival should take a page out of the scouts’ book, and be prepared. The forecast for April 5-7 calls for a little cooler temperatures than normal with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s during the day and lows in the upper 40s at night. While there is a chance of rain, it is significantly less than the 2012 festival. Last year’s weather threw a damper on
the festival with heavy rain and storms on Friday and popup storms on Saturday. Not this year. This year the forecast bodes a little better for St. Stephen with a decreased chance of rain and the onset of warmer temperatures than what’s been seen in the beginning of spring. In preparing for the weather on your excursion to this year’s Catfish Festival, it’s best to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Take an extra jacket or sweater in case cooler temperatures prevail and it never hurts to pack the umbrella. According to the National Weather Service, a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms is in the forecast for the early part of the week, April 1-3, but skies are expected to clear as the weekend approaches with warmer temperatures prevailing.
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