April 6 & 7
Boat Day/Tater Day
The annual boat festival held in France celebrates the return of springtime. Children make miniature boats with candles in them that symbolize the joy of sailing on the “seas of life.” At the end of the day, a great procession ends at the Rhine, where the boats are cast onto the coming Summer months.
Batats(sweet potatoes), brought to the New World by Christopher Columbus, became a dietary staple and one of the primary crops grown in the southern United States, where they are as rampant as the kudzu vine. The small tuber is rich in vitamin A and mainly grown for human consumption in the form of alcohol, flour, and starch.
Originally a market where potato slips for Spring planting were sold, Tater Day has been revived as a country fair. In Benton, Kentucky, Sweet Potato Day comes complete with a beauty pageant, horse races, carnival games, rides for the kids and several flea markets. Celebrated since 1843, Tater Day is one of the oldest trade days in the United States.
*It should be noted that Tater Day is held on the first Monday in April. This year’s Tater Day has already occurred on April 4. Benton, Kentucky is about 100 miles from us. It is a quaint little town and if you have a chance, stop in for a visit. You will find it full of good old Southern charm.
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