Syrup Sopping Day at Pioneer Park

For the past 50+ years, during October, the small town of Loachapoka, Alabama, welcomes approximately 10,000 visitors to the annual Syrup Sopping Festival at Pioneer Park on the grounds of the Lee County Historical Society. This year, Syrup Sopping Day will be on October 25, from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. The rain date is Sunday, October 26. Admission is free!

On this day, visitors take a step back in time to the late 1800s – early 1900s as they tour historical buildings while taking in historical displays and reenactments and observe numerous historical demonstrations such as sugar cane milling, syrup making, quilting, and blacksmithing. In addition, the event features live music, great food, and over a hundred arts and crafts and other types of vendors spread throughout the town park and the museum grounds for visitors’ enjoyment.

The festival officially starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday and lasts until about 3 p.m., but many people arrive early to be among the first in line to purchase one of our famous sweet potato and sausage biscuits for breakfast. As the morning progresses, other festival food favorites are available at the cookhouse, such as sweet potato fritters rolled in cinnamon and sugar, open-fire cooked camp stew, collard greens, pinto beans, and corn muffins. And of course, you can make this fall day in the south complete by purchasing some boiled peanuts!

In addition to the food sold at the museum cookhouse, there will also be other food vendors selling everything from barbecue, polish sausages, hot dogs, ice cream, kettle corn, fried pies, and many other tasty treats. And speaking of vendors and finding that perfect item that you really need (or don’t need), visitors will want to walk around the festival grounds and checkout the arts and crafts and other vendors. This is a great place to find a perfect piece of hand-made pottery, an original painting or photograph, basket, jewelry, wood craft, leather craft, candles, soaps, and numerous other items. There are also vendors available that provide other services such as home improvements, self-help, health information and many other things.