LELAND — The ninth annual Leland Frog Fest is only a few days away for those ready to hop on over for a good time.
This year’s festival is set to run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. along East Third Street in historic downtown Leland, but there are several other events taking place the same day, such as the morning 5K and Fun Run, kayak and canoeing along Deer Creek and the return of the Highway 61 Blues Festival.
“This started as a one-time thing and here it as its ninth annual,” Leland Chamber of Commerce executive director Mary Anne Brocato said.
Dan Byrd, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said Saturday’s weather is going to be nice, but a little warm, for festival-goers.
All day, there will be clear skies and temperatures are expected to stay around the lower 90s with a high of about 91 degrees in the peak of the day. In the evening, temperatures are expected to drop to the mid-to-upper 70s.
Before the festival begins, the day will kick off with the Delta Health Alliance’s sponsored 5K and a kayak and canoe paddle from Stoneville to Leland sponsored by the Delta Paddlers Association and the Deer Creek Water Association, which both start at 9 a.m. Both events are free to participate in.
The Frog Fest Fun Run, which is for children ages 10 and younger, and the 5K, which is open to folks of all ages, are both free of charge and sponsored by Delta Health Alliance in an effort to promote healthy lifestyles to the community.
So far, 60-plus people have signed up to participate in the 5K.
The 5K race is one lap around Deer Creek, walking or running, and gives participants a chance to compete for awards. The fun run will begin at 9 a.m. and the 5K will start at 9:30 a.m. with an awards presentation following.
The paddling event will start at 9 a.m. and interested participants will need to meet with association members behind the Delta Council building in Stoneville. The paddling route from Stoneville to Leland will be between two and a two and half hours long, ending around 11:30 a.m.
Following the group paddle, Delta Outdoors from Cleveland will have a booth set up where people can take a test ride in various kayaks on Deer Creek.
For the Frog Fest itself starting at 10 a.m., there will be a plethora of free activities for children to participate in and several pop-vendors and several foods and drink vendors on hand.
Admission to the festival is free, however attendees are encouraged to bring along two canned good items to be donated to the Leland Food Pantry. Festival goers are also encouraged to bring chairs.
For children, there will be train rides, Texas-based magician Carol Green, who will perform magic acts and create balloon art, and much more.
One big change for this year’s festival is there will not be a chili cook-off after only two teams registered to participate this year.
Despite not having the chili-cook-off, Brocato said there will still plenty of food to purchase with several food vendors participating with the 20th annual Highway 61 Blues Festival, which coincides Frog Fest and runs from 11 a.m. to 10:15 p.m.
This year’s musical entertainment line up is being held in honor of Leland’s very own blues musician Pat Thomas, who will open the blues festival and perform from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
From noon to 12:45 p.m. will be Bill Abel and Cadillac John Nolden; from 1:00 p.m to 1:45 p.m is Jimmy “Duck” Holmes; 2:00 p.m to 2:45 p.m is Libby Rae Watson; from 3:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m is the Zach Day Band; from 4:15 p.m to 5:15 p.m is the John Horton Band; from 5:30 p.m to 6:45 p.m is the Eden Brent Trio; from 7:00 p.m to 8:30 p.m is Super Chikan & His Fighting Cocks; the final performance of the night from 8:45 p.m to 10:15 p.m will be Lightnin’ Malcolm.
The Highway 61 Blues Festival is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part, from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
“Everybody’s excited, we’ve got a great lineup with Highway 61 blues music and a lot of for the kids to do. I’m looking forward to meeting the magician. It’s going to be a good time for the kids,” Brocato said.
For more information on Frog Fest, visit their Facebook page, email lelandcoc@gmail.com, visit lelandchamber.com/page/Frogfest or call 662-379-3764.
