Peanut Festival celebrates 30 years

JAY — The famous Jay Peanut Festival will celebrate its pearl anniversary this year on Oct. 5 and 6 at the Gabbert Family Farm where it will sure to continue its time-honored tradition of good family fun.

According to Brenda Gabbert, owner and operator of the festival, it began 30 years ago as way to handle her grief after her daughter Melissa passed away from cancer at the age of 19.

"She loved festivals and wanted to get better to help with it," Gabbert said. "So it was a way to keep busy (and not think about her death) after she died."

Gabbert said the festival initially started out small but has grown over the years, with its peak maxing at approximately 75,000 attendees. She said the thing that makes her festival special from others is that it is an "old fashioned" festival where families can come to enjoy being together.

"We don't have carnival rides," She said. "We have old fashioned rides like horse rides, rock climbing walls, blow up tents, things like that."

Gabbert said visitors can also go to two museums and an antique shop as well as several vendors while at the festival.

Gabbert’s John Deere Museum tells the story of how a traditional family farm has grown over the years from simplicity to technological through upgrades. One thing she said she prides herself on is that there is no alcohol during the festival and all the various musical acts are local. Gabbert also said that families are not charged to come to festival and the only money Gabbert receives is the money she charges vendors to rent spaces on her farm. 

This year Gabbert said they will have pig races with cash prizes and a pet dress up parade during the festival. On Sunday, they will hold a church service at the farm's gazebo, according to Gabbert. She said following the service there will be live christian music played throughout the day.

"It's a good little festival," she said. "It really is a family event."

Eric Seib, operations manager for the town of Jay, said that the festival is not a town-sponsored event, but it does bring a lot of notoriety and visitors to Jay.

“The Jay Peanut Festival is a great event for Jay and its businesses," said Jay councilman Wayne Goodman. "It brings visitors to Jay to see how farmers grow and harvest peanuts. The festival is a great place to meet new people and make new friends.”

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Peanut Festival celebrates 30 years