Bowie Fest: Something for everyone

Published 12:00 am Sunday, October 1, 2006

There was something for almost everyone at Vidalia’s Jim Bowie Festival at the Riverview RV Park Saturday.

Toys for Bands played, the sheriff’s office held a fishing tournament, children played in jump toys and the best cooked off in a barbecue duel.

They were three people short for the re-enactment, so an actor dressed in period costume told the famous Jim Bowie sandbar knife fight.

Email newsletter signup

This was J.R. Edmondson’s sixth year to play Bowie. An author and historian from Fort Worth, Texas, she was a history teacher for years before he became a writer.

The re-enactment and period costume was another way to teach history, he said.

“It’s a fun way to get history across to people,” Edmondson said. “And I love the area. Any excuse to visit again is welcome.”

Steve and Priscilla Hill came to the festival because their grandchildren participated in the fishing tournament.

“We’ve been to every festival since they first had them,” Steve Hill said. “We’ve been doing it since our 13-year-old granddaughter could walk.”

A group from Hope, Ark., caravanned to Vidalia in eight RVs. Most had been to Natchez, but this was their first Bowie Festival.

“We camp out at a different place each month,” Douglas Drake said.

“This month, the person picked Vidalia. We decided to come see what the Jim Bowie Festival was all about.”

Dale Dwylie said it was a chance for the group of retirees to kick back.

“We do a lot of eating and sitting under shade trees,” Dwylie said.

David Toney and his family came from Jackson to participate in a motor club car show also at the RV park.

“This is our first Bowie Festival,” Toney said.

“The barbeque was wonderful, and I enjoyed watching the kids on the bungee jump swing.”