It’s that time again–time for the 56th Annual Banana Festival in the Twin Cities of South Fulton, Tenn. and Fulton, Ky. It’s a week-long event highlighted by parades, music, pageants, a community meal–and a LOT of bananas.
This year, the biggest highlight will be the appearance of the Kentucky Headhunters next Saturday, September 15. That will happen the same day as the serving of the 1-ton Banana Pudding, deemed the world largest. After traveling in the parade the pudding is then distributed to hungry festival attendees.
And here is the history behind the Banana Festival and why the Twin-Cities are so important in the history of bananas in our region: In about 1880 the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad was the first to develop refrigerated cars. Suddenly those not living in tropical regions could have the same fruits year round that others enjoyed. Fulton, at the time, was home to a large railroad facility and became the redistribution point for the railroad because of its central location between New Orleans and Canada. The United Fruit Co, now Chiquita, began shipping bananas from South America by ship to New Orleans.
The bananas were loaded onto railcars on top of 162 pound blocks of ice for the trip north. Fulton had the only ice house on the route north to Chicago. The bananas were re-iced with blocks from the Fulton Ice Plant, now closed. Empty railcars were pulled up to the side of the ice house and these large blocks of ice were loaded end up covering the entire box car. The bananas were then laid on top of the ice to continue their journey. At one point, over 70% of the bananas that were consumed in the US passed through Fulton. Fulton became known as “The Banana Capital of the World.”
Here is the week’s schedule:
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- Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018:
- 08:00 a.m. – Pistol and Turkey Shoot Fulton PD Range Park Rd Fulton
- 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Drop off Photography Entries – Pontotoc Building
- 10:00 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kids Day at Fulton Airport
- 1:00PM —- Miss Banana Pageants – Fulton High School
- 2:00 p.m.—-Annual Banana Scramble Hosted by Fulton Country Club
- 7:00 p.m. – Banana Ball/Top Banana Reception
- Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018:
- 1:00PM — Miss Banana Pageants – Fulton High School
- 1:00pm – 5:00pm — Drop off Photography Entries, Pontotoc Building
- Monday, Sept. 10, 2018:
- 1-5 pm – Drop off Pictures for Photography Contest Pontotoc Building
- 6:30 p.m – Fashion Show Bucks Celebration Center
- Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018:
- School Art Contest Judging
- Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018:
- 5:00pm — Tyson Foods- Community Meal – Pontotoc Park
- 5:30pm – 7:30pm — Chalk Art, Unity Park Walking Trail
- 6:00pm – Faith & Family Night Performing Group Sponsored by Area Churches, Amphitheater Unity Park
- Thursday, Sept. 15, 2018:
- 9:00am – Vendors, Downtown
- 9:00 am — Senior Citizens Rook Tournament, Senior Citizens Center
- 6:00pm — Kiddie Parade
- 7:00pm — Kiddie Parade Winners Announced
- 7:00pm – Fulton’s Got Talent
- Friday, Sept. 14, 2018:
- 7:30am – 8:45am — Banana Bake off entry drop off, Senior Citizen Center Judging at 9:00am
- 9:00am-11:00 am — Health Fair – Fulton First Baptist Church sponsored by Fulton County Extension Office and Diversacare
- 9:00am — Vendors, Downtown Open
- 5:00pm-10:00pm — Carnival Open
- 7:00pm — 2017 Fulton’s Got Talent Winner—Unity Park Amphitheater
- 7:30pm — Jimmy Church Band—Unity Park Amphitheater
- Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018:
- 8:00am – 12:00 p.m. — Rotary Club Car Show, (registration gate opens at 8 Judging begins at 12 p.m.) Downtown Lake Street
- 8:00am – Banana 5K run/walk (Registration will begins at 7am) at Raise the Bar Gym
- 9:00am—Vendors, Downtown Open
- 10:00am – Banana Brawl, Pontotoc Park
- 1:00pm – Greased Pig Contest, across the street from the Keg/Behind the Post Office
- 2:30pm – Doggy Pageant – Pontotoc Stage
- 5:00pm — Lion’s Club GRANDE Parade, starts at Broadway SFulton to Lake Street Fulton
- 6:30pm – 2018 Fulton’s Got Talent Winner to Perform, Unity Park Amphitheater
- Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018:
ONE TON BANANA PUDDING – served in front of senior center
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- 8:00pm — Kentucky Headhunters in Concert, Unity Park Amphitheater