By COLLIN BREAUX
On March 16–a Saturday–the Down Home Street Festival will be held at Veterans Park in Bonifay.
The longtime annual celebration will have local bands and performers, a demonstration by ATA Martial Arts, dance routine, food vendors, and more–including a few surprises. The Festival is hosted by the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and will be from 10 a.m. to around 3 p.m. Admission is free.
“Right now we are looking for vendor participation,” Chamber Coordinator Donna Meldon said. “We already have vendors signed up. If they would like a vendor registration form, they can either go to our Holmes County Chamber site or email me at donna@holmeschamber.com and I can get them a vendor registration.”
The Chamber website is holmeschamber.com. Meldon said the Chamber is looking for arts and crafts vendors, food, and agritourism vendors.
“We are adding a huge agritourism section to our Festival this year,” she said. “Within that, we are looking for cottage industry. It can be home baked goods, dairy products, any type of agricultural plants, chickens. We also are having a chicken show and that will be put on by our Holmes County 4-H group.”
Civic organizations and nonprofit vendors are also welcome to register for a booth.
“It’s free of charge for civic and nonprofits,” Meldon said. “For arts and crafts vendors, it’s $30. If you need electricity, it’s $40. Our food vendors, $100.”
Veterans Boulevard, the street in front of Veterans Park, will be closed the day of the Festival.
Bonifay Mayor Larry Cook said the city “really enjoys the Festival.”
“I think I can speak for this (City) Council: we look forward to it every year,” Cook said during a discussion of event logistics on Tuesday, Jan. 16. “It’s a great event for the city. Never any trouble out of it. It comes and goes and the city benefits out of it.”
Hannah Collins 
GARETT VALCOURT 
Jim Saunders 