“ Chitlin’ Hoedown”

Lilli is a student at Louisiana State University and is studying towards a degree in Business. She was born in Athens, Georgia but was raised in Thomaston, Georgia. Her parents have both spent their entire lives in Thomaston, Georgia barring a quick move to Athens, Georgia where Lilli was born.

The Chitlin’ Hoedown is a yearly festival held in Yatesville, Georgia, a small town located in southern Georgia. Chitlin is the general term for the intestines of a pig when prepared for consumption as food. The Chitlin’ Hoedown is a festival centered on the varieties of preparation methods one can use to consume this unusual food.  At the festival, there is of course, a variety of differently cooked and seasoned chitlins, as well as a parade, arts and crafts fair, and much more. The festival is a hallmark for this otherwise unnoticeable town of approximately 408 citizens.

Lilli claims that the festival is not just about the traditional preparation of this soul food many have come to love, but rather it is a chance for this small town to celebrate its existence and to showcase its cuisine and arts in an effort to attract others.

For a small town such as Yatesville, the festival provides a relatively large source of income. Not only do the residents attend, but also many others travel into the town from other places around the Atlanta, Georgia area. This festival is both an economic means and a way of keeping tradition alive in an unusual cuisine.