Well, kiss my grits.
Okay, that may be a bit crass, but I can’t help but quote the legendary waitress, Flo, from the TV series Alice. As odd as it may seem, I recently attended the 22nd Annual World Grits Festival in St. George, South Carolina.
Yes, a grits festival. St. George has celebrated this greasy-spoon favorite for more than two decades. Apparently, the festival was born out of the realization that the good folks of St. George (population around 2,000 at the time) ate more grits per capita than any other town in the WORLD. Two different grits vendors brought this to the attention of the local Piggly Wiggly manager back in the 1980’s. You know what they say, “Find something you do well and keep doing it.”
So, off I went to the festival, not knowing exactly what to expect.
What I found was a unique twist on a local, family fair that had a little something for everyone. In addition to all things grits, there were art displays (clothesline art), live entertainment, vendor booths, and athletic contests for the kids.
The contest of note at this festival is one that I mistakenly took for grits wrestling. Then, I noticed that there was only one person involved. They call this challenge “Rolling in the Grits.” The goal is to be the person who can collect the most grits on their body and clothes in a given amount of time. This gentleman has competed for twenty years straight without a victory and finally won first place in the adult division by soaking up 53 pounds of grits!
I knew that I had to experience one of games, but I also wanted to enjoy an iced latte with a friend who owns a local bistro. So, I opted for the corn toss. This proved to be an exercise in over strategizing my approach. That’s me kneeling on the ground lining up my ears (of corn) in what I thought would be the best tossing order, my experienced competitors went on to expose my obvious lack of corn handling prowess. Oh, well.
It may be another stretch before my next blog entry, as Ben and Sarah are entering the very final stages of opening Benetti’s Coffee Experience. There will be some very exciting posts coming very soon!
Until then,
M. Benetti
Yes, a grits festival. St. George has celebrated this greasy-spoon favorite for more than two decades. Apparently, the festival was born out of the realization that the good folks of St. George (population around 2,000 at the time) ate more grits per capita than any other town in the WORLD. Two different grits vendors brought this to the attention of the local Piggly Wiggly manager back in the 1980’s. You know what they say, “Find something you do well and keep doing it.”
So, off I went to the festival, not knowing exactly what to expect.
What I found was a unique twist on a local, family fair that had a little something for everyone. In addition to all things grits, there were art displays (clothesline art), live entertainment, vendor booths, and athletic contests for the kids.
The contest of note at this festival is one that I mistakenly took for grits wrestling. Then, I noticed that there was only one person involved. They call this challenge “Rolling in the Grits.” The goal is to be the person who can collect the most grits on their body and clothes in a given amount of time. This gentleman has competed for twenty years straight without a victory and finally won first place in the adult division by soaking up 53 pounds of grits! 
I knew that I had to experience one of games, but I also wanted to enjoy an iced latte with a friend who owns a local bistro. So, I opted for the corn toss. This proved to be an exercise in over strategizing my approach. That’s me kneeling on the ground lining up my ears (of corn) in what I thought would be the best tossing order, my experienced competitors went on to expose my obvious lack of corn handling prowess. Oh, well.It may be another stretch before my next blog entry, as Ben and Sarah are entering the very final stages of opening Benetti’s Coffee Experience. There will be some very exciting posts coming very soon!
Until then,
M. Benetti