KUDZU

FESTIVAL!

September 2007

Blythewood

IGA Parking Lot

FAX US: (928) 244-2784

A Brief History of
The Blythewood Kudzu Festival
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Way back when, during the depression times, when things weren't so good, you didn't have nothing, so you made do with what Nature gives you. What you did, is, you built your house out of kudzu, you ate, you made your clothes out of kudzu, and I know plenty of people what don't have to sew, that can just whip up a whole outfit made out of kudzu! And it holds up forever - you can't kill the stuff. 

Well, as you know, kudzu lines both sides of the highway going up Highway 34 to Blythewood, and Irma Jean's been living up under a patch of kudzu her whole life - ain't nobody ever seen her - but shes got children (I think they've got a whole colony up under there). One time about 27 years ago, they threatened to burn it, cause you know that the only way you can get rid of kudzu is to burn it. They come in and they dropped all these fire bombs into it! Well, so the saying goes, Irma Jean come running out screaming with her entire family, but see, they left one root of that kudzu living. And it's done grown back! So now every year we gather together as a community to pay homage to the Blythewood Kudzu and we celebrate the Blythewood Kudzu Festival. 

The reason we celebrate the kudzu is that it is a great thing that we have in it so why not make the best of it?! At the festival, we have all different kinds of things: we've got the kudzu "hay"ride that leaves from the IGA and it rides you on past all of the churches, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, all of the churches in Blythewood. It's an interdenominational festival and "hay"ride. We have the kudzu leaf eating contest, you know, who can eat the most kudzu leaves. My brother, Brother, he can start knawing one end of a vine to the next without even picking his teeth up off the vine! 

We got the Fire Safety Kudzu House, where you can come in and rest. We got the 34th Army National Guard people what has a Kudzu Band. And Ronald McDonald will be singing the Kudzu song (he makes it up and I can't tell you what it is, but it's different every year). We got the Unisex Beauty Salon what will twine up some kudzu in your hair and make you a nice hairdo. You can even get a kudzu extension piece if you want it. 

We got the kudzu worship service on Sunday, too, where you can buy an official Kudzu Bible Bookmark.

We got the kudzu covered dish dinner - bring your own recipes that has kudzu as an ingredient - and it's good! Kudzu has lot's of fiber, so if you have problems keeping regular, you can just eat you some kudzu. And I tell you, it just cleans out your whole system, it really does! 

Kudzu for Alcoholism and Hangovers! Al Stone has a lot of information here! Check out the latest research! 

Basket makers have found that the rubber-like vines are excellent for decorative and functional creations. Ruth Duncan of Greenville, Alabama makes over 200 kudzu baskets each year and says she doesn't mind that people call her the "Queen of Kudzu." 

Regina Hines of Ball Ground, Georgia, has developed unique basket styles which incorporate curled kudzu vines. She weaves with other vines as well, but says that kudzu is the most versatile. 

Nancy Basket of Walhalla, South Carolina, makes paper from kudzu which she uses in colorful collages. Her designs vary from geometric shapes to images of rural life and Native American themes. 

Diane Hoots of Dahlonega, Georgia has developed a company to market her kudzu products which include kudzu blossom jelly and syrup, kudzu baskets, and books. Her book, Kudzu: The Vine to Love or Hate, co-written with Juanita Baldwin, is an in-depth study of the South's love/hate relationship with the vine. The book includes recipes and basket making instructions. 

Henry and Edith Edwards of Rutherfordton, North Carolina have found many uses for kudzu over the past 30 years. Henry produces over 1,000 bales of kudzu hay each year on his Kudzu Cow Farm. The hay is high in nutritive value, but many people have found kudzu difficult to cut and bale. Henry says the secret is to "cut it low and bale it high." 

Edith Edwards makes deep-fried kudzu leaves, kudzu quiche, and many other kudzu dishes. She found recipes in The Book of Kudzu: A Culinary and Healing Guide by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi, and thought this was a good use for a plentiful resource. She has demonstrated kudzu cooking for clubs, schools, and visitors to the Knoxville World's Fair.
 

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