Leigh Mullis Band will entertain at Mayhaw Festival. Colquitt, Georgia, is the place you will want to be Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17, as we celebrate the 27th National Mayhaw Festival.

Plans have been in the making for this annual event for some time now. Veryl Garland Cockey, Colquitt/ Miller County Chamber of Commerce president, commented, “We are hoping for one of the best festivals yet and are sure you’ll enjoy the two day event.”

This year’s National Mayhaw Festival Queens have been busy promoting the National Mayhaw Festival for 2010.

They have appeared on TV in Dothan, AL; Tallahassee, FL; and Albany. The queens are Tiny Miss, Lyric Moore; Little Miss, Carlie Maxwell; Young Junior Miss, Alyson James; Junior Miss, Lizzy Stanford Teen Miss, Beth Burkett; and Miss, Courtney Brownlee. They will appear in the parade on the National Mayhaw Festival float. You can also see them Friday night on the square and Saturday at the park. They will be assisting the Chamber of Commerce in all the planned activities for the weekend.

The weekend will start on Friday morning with the bake sale on the square. Some of Colquitt’s best cooks will have made mouth-watering goodies that you will not won’t to miss out on. If sweets are your thing -- there’ll be plenty. Also barbecue will be available for you to savor.

Then at 6:00 p.m., you can enjoy music on the square with The Mayhaw Singers performing. At 6:30 p.m. Jerry Murkerson will perform, and at 7:15 p.m., Karen Searcy will entertain the crowd. At 8:30 p.m. the street dance will begin and last until 10 p.m. with “Ronnie Robinson and the Legends” playing. So bring your lawn chairs and enjoy Friday night with us on the square and dance the night away.

Als o “May -Haw, ” Colquitt’s own version of “Hee-Haw,” sponsored by the Miller County Arts Council, will be going on at Cotton Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night and again on Saturday with shows at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Saturday morning will begin with the 5K run and 1 mile fun run/ walk which get underway at 8:30 a.m. at the Colquitt Free Will Baptist Church.

Then at 10:00 a.m. the parade will make its way coming up Main Street and going through the square.

The Boy Scouts of America, celebrating 100 years will be the grand marshals of this year’s parade.

For Saturday at the Park -- we are hoping for Chamber of Commerce weather. This year’s festival will feature lots of children’s activities including the mega slide, rock climb with jump section, mechanical bull, spider mountain, pony rides, whirlybird ride and face painting. Also many arts and craft vendors and lots of wonderful food will be available for you to enjoy. Be sure to visit the Chamber of Commerce booth for drinks, cookbooks, mayhaw trees, shirts and caps.

Also featured will be entertainment at the park with local talent (see page 13 for schedule) and the Leigh Mullis Band. She has been singing since the young age of six when she started singing in the church choir. The choir had members of all ages, but the youngster’s powerful voice drew most of the attention, especially on her favorite hymn, “I’ll Fly Away.”

“We hope that your weekend plans include Friday on the Square and Saturday at the Park,” said Martiele Pickle, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.