2019 Our 2nd Annual Trip to the Sunflower Festival in Gilliam, LA, USA

Sunflower Festival, Gilliam, Louisiana
2019-Jun-15-Saturday
© 2019 Annette Womack

I had the best day today!!! It was our 2nd Annual Sunflower Festival trip. We had missed the festival itself by a few days last year, but the sunflowers were more bloomed out. It was a little cool and rainy this year for the flowers to be in full bloom, but we enjoyed it tremendously. The festival is on the 2nd Saturday in June every year.

It was 6:30 IN THE MORNING… when my daughter, Elizabeth, came and picked up me up and we drove over two hours to get to a small town, North of Shreveport called Gilliam, Louisiana. There were seven of us. It started out as a “girls’ day out,” but somehow Grace’s friend (who is a boy) managed to go with us. (It was okay. We used him as a pack animal!)

My first purchase was a white hat with sunflowers glued to it. And yes, I could have made it cheaper ($7) but I saw it and fell in love. Lizzy got her a hat too. Everyone had to buy themselves something and we had a great time shopping in all the vendor booths. I got several jars of honey and found a half pint of “purple-hull-pea jelly.” I had seen it at a flea market several years ago and never tried it so I paid too much ($5) but I had to give it a try.

As we were leaving, I saw a food truck and knew I had to get us something to snack on. It was perfect choice as none of the kids had ever had homemade hot tamales before. I got two dozen and we made ourselves sick eating them so fast. They were good! The kids were asking “Mamaw, do you know how to make these?” My answer, “Yep, but it has been several years.” Well, I guess my next project is teaching the grandkids how to make homemade hot tamales. Mine are not nearly as good as the local Mexican Café’s, but mine are eatable.

After we left the festival, we followed the Sunflower Trail to the pastures and we all cut flowers to take home. I came prepared with gloves and my snips. And we learned last year the prettiest flowers are in the middle of the field. It seemed like we had to “walk a mile” to get from the parking area to the field and there were lots of other “hunters and gatherers” in the field too, but we left with a sack full of sunflowers just like everyone else.

And… that’s a wrap