The 21st Annual Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival was held at Adams Park the weekend of Aug. 19 and 20. The festival is a red-letter day for Kennesaw’s local vendors as it gives them a chance to immerse and advertise themselves within their community.
During this highly anticipated two-day event, local vendors were given an opportunity to reach an estimated 30,000 attendees according to the official Pigs and Peaches website.
Small business owners were encouraged to sign up using the online application process that contained a set of the event’s rules and regulations. They also witnessed a smooth two-day festival thanks to the work the City of Kennesaw Parks and Recreation Department does in preparation each year.
Khelsey Daniels, the owner of Dorothy’s Desserts, heard about this event through a publication she received from her Georgia Grown membership.
“The Pigs and Peaches event is different than any other vendor show I have attended due to the scale of the festival as well as the fact that it extends for two days,” Daniels said, “I got a great feeling hearing numerous people tell me that they came back the second day for my specialty cheesecakes.”
What started as Daniels merely using her grandmother’s sweet potato cheesecake recipe for a potluck at work, soon transformed into a business endeavor that has allowed her to bring joy to many people throughout the state.
Selemma and George Haslerig of Bless Somebody Soaps and Candles are small business owners that create natural soaps and soy candles that are both safe for humans and their environment.
“The idea of Bless Somebody came up during COVID as I started making natural soaps for my patients,” Selemma Haslerig said. “As a registered nurse, it taught me how our skin is sensitive and we should be looking out for one another, hence the Bless Somebody notion.”
The Haslerigs are active in their community not only by creating clean products but by giving back and recently sponsoring local baseball teams.
Sandra Kelley, Skull and Keel owner, makes sure her candles are made with 100% soy wax. Her candles are distinctive since she recycles vintage soda and milk bottles and turns them into aesthetically pleasing candles.
“Hand cutting and sanding each individual bottle is a process, but it aligns with our concept of upcycling and giving what would otherwise be a waste product another life,” Kelley’s father mentioned.
Kelley even allows people to bring in their old Skull and Keel bottles to start the process over again.
Attending the festival for the first time, the Oatstraw Tea Company is a loose-leaf tea shop that provides exclusive seasonal blends such as Momma To Be Tea and Flu Brew that support wellness and balance. They informed customers that soon they will be opening their first official location in downtown Atlanta.
Special Events Coordinator at Kennesaw Parks and Recreation Brittani Farmer is in charge of overseeing questions about vendors, entertainment, and other festival information. For more information regarding the festival visit their website.