Winona community celebrates inaugural festival

WINONA, Miss. (WCBI) Area towns are always looking for ways to get people involved in the community and bring in visitors.

A Fall festival can be just such an event.

Some people in and around Winona thought that would be a good way to bring people to town.

Music is one way to bring a community together.

That was one of the draws of the “We are Winona” festival as it made its inaugural appearance at the Montgomery County Coliseum and Recreation Park.

“This can be an event where people who left Winona can come back and say I can come back to my hometown and enjoy my people and go back to our roots and we are the crossroads. So, I think it’ll be a good gathering spot and something we can look forward to each year.”

“When Katrina was elected, she came to me for the first time and said let’s do a Winona day. I said let’s do it and she has taken the bull by the horns with the people on her committee, and I’m very proud of her. I’m proud of Winona, and this is just the beginning.”

The denim and boots-themed festival provided arts and crafts, more than 40 vendors, a motorcycle show, and live entertainment.

“People can fellowship and come together, and people need that with mental health in the world today. People need something they can do. Our town is small, we don’t have anything to do, and everybody has been supportive. I would like to thank the mayor, the city board of aldermen, and our county board of supervisors for allowing us to have it on this property.”

The festival also included a kids’ zone and a softball tournament.

Residents from Winona say it is a great feeling to know there are events for their families to get involved in.

“It feels good. I normally do stuff like this, and I was so happy to get a call from Dr. Bays to be on the committee. We need this in Winona, so I am just happy for this and even happier to be a part of it.”

Organizers said they plan to make this an annual event.