SYRUP SOPPING DAY

Syrup Sopping Day 

at Pioneer Park in Loachapoka

Saturday, October 26, 2024 (Rain date Sunday, October 27)


Admission is Free!


For the past 50+ years, during the month of October, the small town of Loachapoka, Alabama, welcomes approximately 10,000 visitors to the annual Syrup Sopping Festival at Pioneer Park on the grounds of the Lee County Historical Society. On this day, visitors take a step back in time to the late 1800’s – early 1900’s as they tour our historical buildings while taking in historical displays and reenactments and observe numerous historical demonstrations such as sugar cane milling, syrup making, quilting, and blacksmithing. In addition, there is also live music, great food, and over a hundred arts and crafts and other types of vendors spread out throughout the town park and the museum grounds for visitors’ enjoyment.


The festival officially starts at 8 am on Saturday and goes until about 3 pm, but many folks arrive early so that they can be the first in line to purchase one of our famous sweet potato and sausage biscuits for breakfast. As the morning progresses, other festival food favorites are available at the cookhouse such as sweet potato fritters rolled in cinnamon and sugar, open-fire cooked camp stew, collard greens, pinto beans, with corn muffins. And of course, you can make this fall day in the south complete by purchasing some boiled peanuts!


In addition to the food sold at the museum cookhouse, we also have other food vendors selling everything from barbecue, polish sausages, hot dogs, ice cream, kettle corn, fried pies, and many other tasty treats. And speaking of vendors and finding that perfect item that you really need (or don’t need), visitors will want to walk around the festival grounds and checkout the arts and crafts and other vendors. This is a great place to find a perfect piece of hand-made pottery, an original painting or photograph, basket, jewelry, wood craft, leather craft, candles, soaps, and numerous other items. There are also vendors available that provide other services such as home improvements, self-help, health information and many other things.


We hope you join us this fall for a fun filled day that is a great experience for folks of all ages!

Vendor Information

All Vendors, please refer to the attached maps when making location requests as we have changed the layout, trying to reduce congestion and the blocking of some vendor spaces by the public while they are waiting. Because of these changes, some vendor spaces have had number changes, other spaces no longer exist, and there are new spaces.


THE ONLINE VENDOR FORM WILL BE AVAILABLE APRIL 1st 2024.


Print Vendor Form Vendor Map (North) Vendor Map (South)

Volunteer Information

Are you interested in becoming a volunteer for Syrup Sopping day? We have divided the volunteer opportunities into indoor opportunities and outdoor. Thank you so much to our many volunteers!


Specific volunteer opportunities will open in July of 2024.

For other events, see our calendar.

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