Mayhaw Festival Overcomes the Rain

The weather was no match for the 39th Mayhaw Festival. Hannah Fregia, HD senior and daughter of Tony and Jana Fregia was crowned Miss Mayhaw Queen. For the first time since 1984 the festival named two folks as Citizen of the Year – Kerry and Donna Cain. Both are HD graduates who returned home seven years ago. The festival is about Mayhaws and therefore jelly what its’ all about. The Jelly winner in the adult division was Luke Hight. In the BBQ contest, the top team wins the Eddie Taylor trophy and this year it goes to the Outlaw – Inlaw Cookers – led by HDHS juniors Colton Roach and Anthony Ramirez along with Josh Burke.

The weather threatened to play havoc with the festival, but many thanks to local businessman Lynn Fregia and wife Debra for donating the use of their metal building at the north end of town to host many of the activities, including the community church service on Sunday morning.

It all got cranking on Friday night at the High School Auditorium when a near capacity crowd gathered for the Queen contest. At least 50 children vied for a crown in 9 different age and gender divisions. Over at the Pavilion, junior cooking teams were battling it out over BBQ and all the fixins. And at Lifepoint Church, the Citizen of the Year ceremony took place before the Gospel Singing. On the south end of town, at the fire station, food venders and crafts booths offered attendees an array of goodies.

Saturday opened with the parade being cancelled (rain), but it lightened up and the day progressed with basketball and volleyball tournaments in the gym. One of the most popular contest was the ‘Beautifully Dressed Dog Pageant’ event. Entries dressed their dogs in finery of all sorts and paraded. The elementary school had conducted a coloring contest early in the week and those winners were announced Saturday afternoon as well. Ten different cooking teams offered their versions of chicken, ribs, brisket, and steak and margarita contest. Thirty different events for adults and children kept festival attendees amused and amazed over the three days. The Mayhaw Festival raises funds that provides scholarships to Hull-Daisetta students.

Miss Mayhaw winners: Tiny Miss - Juliette Starr, Tiny Mr. – Trent Evans, Jr., Junior Little Miss – Emmarie Jones, Junior Little Mr. – Killean Johnson, Little Miss – Adalyn Carothers, Pre-Teen Miss – Ava Walthall, Junior Miss – Zoey Gonzales, Miss Mayhaw – Gracie Evans and Miss Mayhaw Queen – Hannah Fregia.

Other Jelly winners: Jelly Junior – Lily Hight and Jelly Adult Non-Pectin – Gerald Valerik Best Margarita went the The Bowed Cookers, while Earnie Picket produced the best steak. Other Baking Division winners: Bread Pee-Wee Division – Maddie Schwarz, Cake Junior – Harper Fenton, Cake Senior – Roman White, Cake Adult – Amanda Sweezy, Junior Baking – Harper Fenton, Adult Cookies – Debra Fregia, Senior Cookies – Riggs Sweezy, Junior Cookies – Raelyn Shields, Pee-Wee Cookies – Remy Shields.