3rd Sunday in August – Celebration alive and well in Sulphur Well
On August 18th and 19th people will come from all around to the charming, tiny hamlet of Sulphur Well, Kentucky, to celebrate a tradition that dates back to the late 1880s.
“I found an article in an old newspaper about my grandmother and she stated that it began in the 1800s,” said Terry Edwards, who has spent his life in Sulphur Well.
In recent years, there was a decline in both attendance and festivities and that is when Terry and his sister Cindy stepped in to save and revive a celebration which they held near and dear to their hearts since childhood.
“My grandmother Avis Edwards would take a quilt and put it on the ground under a tree. I would stay on that quilt all day and play. She never worried about me getting off and leaving. And she would talk with anyone that came by. In this day and time I enjoy watching others come and get together and catch up on times,” said Cindy Edwards London
“People don’t spend as much time together and this is a weekend set aside for getting together and catching up on old times. I like to see people enjoy life and be entertained with good clean music and activities.”
Cindy also has a sense of pride and hopes her family would be proud, too.
“My grandmother Avis and my Dad Errol would be please with the effort my family along with committee members have put into this. Our love for this community is what makes us happy.”
The happiness is evident in their work and it is safe to say the Edwards family and the committee they’ve formed have made a success of it.
This year’s celebration
Last year there were over 500 people in attendance each day of the two day event, and this year the committee as confident that the gathering will grow.
Still learning what does and doesn’t work when bringing an age old tradition into modern times, there are some new things this year, as well as a few things they won’t be making a comeback.
“Last year the Car, Truck, Tractor and Motorcycle Show was a big hit, but there weren’t many people who attended the 5K race,” said Edwards.
This year, the Car Show will make a come back, but the 5K race has been omitted.
The ever-popular children’s games will involve water, such as water balloons, and local comedian Darrell Pennington, known as the funniest man in the county, will be making an appearance.
Instead of the talent show, there will be an open stage for a limited number of talented people to perform.
On Saturday the 18th activities begin at 2 with a bicycle and tricycle rodeo open to all ages. From 3-4 there will be a pet show, and from 4 -5 there will be water balloons and water games for children. From 5-6 there will be an open stage, and from 6:30-7 the Hornets’ Nest Pickers well play.
From 9-9:30, the popular Kid’s Glow-stick Shower will happen and the evening will close at 9:30 with a firework show, Thunder Over the Well.
“This year, there will be even more fireworks,” said Edwards.
On Sunday, from 11 -2 the Car, Truck, Tractor and Motorcycle Show will take place.
At 11 Sulphur Well United Methodist Church will hold a worship service, and following the service KY Just Us will play at noon.
The most coveted tradition, The Duck Race, will happen at 3.
Prizes for the race include two kayaks with paddles, a TV, and much more. Quack Packs of ducks safe already available.
Both days food will be provided by the North Metcalfe Fire Department, and inflatables will be set up for children.
A $5 wrist band gets your child an entire day of play.
There will also be vendors, selling a variety of wares. Booth space is still available.
Interested persons should call 270-528-4225 or 270-670-4531.
The money raised each year goes toward he next year’s celebration and to the maintenance of the beloved Sulphur Well Park where the event is held annually.
The Edwards Family of Sulphur Well have long been a part of the community and are working hard to improve the 3rd Sunday in August celebration each year, bringing into modern times while keeping old traditions alive.
Cindy and Terry with Chris Allen of WBKO, who usually emcees the Duck Race. This year, there will be a guest emcee.
The celebration brought in droves of people in the 1930s and 40s.
The park has changed over the years but many things remain the same.
