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Brooklet Peanut Festival packed with activities Saturday
Peanuts  for web
Boiled peanuts are prepared by the bucketful at Brooklet's Peanut Festival to delight the palettes of the thousands that will brave the heat today. - photo by Herald File
    The forecast predicts slightly cooler weather today compared to the triple digits of the past few weeks, but the peanuts will still be hot as the Brooklet Peanut Festival gets underway today.
    A parade, plenty of live entertainment, a street dance, a road dedication ceremony and loads of food and fun will draw crowds of people from all over the region. A foot race - the Brooklet Peanut Run - kicks off the day at 7 a.m., and at 9:30 a.m. the Georgia Department of Transportation will hold a dedication ceremony naming the stretch of U.S. 80 from Brooklet to Statesboro after the well-known and beloved Brooklet physician, the late Dr. Charles Emory Bohler.
    Then, at 10 a.m., a parade will be held through downtown Brooklet and the festival officially begins.
    The forecast predicts a high of 93 degrees and possible scattered thunderstorms, according to information from www.yahoo.com.     
    “It’s going to be hot. It’s always hot,” said organizer Randy Newman. The festival  is always held the third Saturday in August, “which is the best time for peanuts to be in season,” he said.
    The festival centers around the city’s rich agricultural heritage, and focuses on its main crop -the Georgia peanut. The festival’s theme for 2007 is “Military Appreciation,” and several military branches will be represented in the parade.
    Newman said the grand marshals for the parade are area veterans, and “any active military personnel who wants to walk” in the parade is welcome."
    After the parade, visitors can enjoy a variety of arts and crafts booths, as well as plenty of booths offering food.  Peanuts will be the treat of the day and will be found in a variety of ways -  boiled, deep fried, roasted and in a variety of candy and other delights that can be enjoyed at the festival or taken home for later.
    Free entertainment is available throughout the day starting at 9:30 a.m. and a street dance begins at 7 p.m.,  ending at 10:30 p.m., and will feature The Variations.
    Don't miss the tractor races. The Slow Tractor Race at mid-day features antique tractors and drivers see how slow they can go without stalling. The Kiddie Pedal Tractor race features age divisions and will be  held at noon with the Slow Tractor Race immediately following, Newman said.
    Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at 489-9414.
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