The 15th Annual Sweet Potato Festival will be held Saturday. Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the village of Rockford.

There will be a variety of music by local groups played throughout the day. There will be crafts, vendors, blacksmith demonstrations, local authors and a monkey train for the kids to ride. This event is free of charge.

Authors Sarah Byrd, Richard Nance and Michael Renegar will be on hand signing books.

Carolyn Carter, one of the owners of the Rockford General Store, said the festival started when the former owner of the store, Annie Barnette, had an idea to have a festival. Carter said Barnette wanted to come up with a festival that no one else locally was having, and since sweet potato festival wasn’t taken, the idea was born.

Food offerings during the festival will include sweet potato pies, sweet potato sonkers, sweet potato fudge, country ham biscuits, chicken stew, pinto beans and cornbread.

Carter said one of the more interesting vendors is a man who makes necklaces and bracelets out of sweet potatoes.

She said every year the festival gets bigger and bigger.

“We have two of three times as many vendors as we’ve ever had,” said Carter.

For more information, call the Rockford General Store at 374-5317.

Reach Mondee Tilley at mtilley@heartlandpublications.com or at 719-1930.