SOCIETY HILL — The Town of Society Hill celebrated its 23rd annual Catfish Festival on Saturday with a parade, a carnival and pounds and pounds of the fried southern delicacy.
Thousands of people lined the streets leading up to St. David’s Academy as they waited anxiously for the parade featuring the Hartsville High School Marching Band and the Lamar Marching Band. Along with the bands, there were floats featuring beauty queens and members of local organizations throwing candy to children. Santa Claus kicked off the holiday season by waving to the crowd from a fire truck.
The event continued as the oil was heated up and the fish frying began.
For Elizabeth Moses, the chairperson for the festival for the second year in a row, her favorite part is the famous catfish stew.
“Everybody comes for the stew. Everybody loves it,” she said.
There also were almost 60 other food vendors selling everything from barbecue ribs to fried pickles and fried Twinkies. Thirty arts and crafts vendors sold jewelry, handbags and decorative items.
Unique to this year’s festival were carnival games and rides for the children.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever had a carnival,” Moses said. “It’s the first carnival, to my knowledge, that’s ever been in Society Hill.”
Profits from the festival will go toward beautifying Society Hill. Last year’s money went toward a building a fountain in town. Moses said she hopes to fund a similar project this year.
“We want people to enjoy the town by making it beautiful,” she said.
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