The sixth annual Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’ Festival will be held Saturday, April 8th in the streets of beautiful downtown Sopchoppy.  This festival is organized by SPIA, the Sopchoppy Preservation and Improvement Association.  We are working hard to make this year’s festival the best ever with another killer t-shirt, great music, some exciting new contests, more than 60 booths from various local artists and organizations, plus lots of great food. 
This year’s t-shirt is a magnificent must-have addition to your wardrobe, so plan on buying early to get your choice of size and color.  And ladies, due to popular request, we will have tank tops for the very first time! 

This year's festival offers a full schedule of events and music that you won’t want to miss.  It is a full day and night of fun beginning at 8:00 a.m. and continuing until 10:00 p.m. so plan on spending the entire day with us.

Things get underway early with the booths opening for business at 8:00 a.m.  The Worm Grunter’s 5K Race kicks off at 9:00 a.m. at the same time the t-shirt buying frenzy begins on the porch of the Sopchoppy Outfitters.  The main program begins at 10:00 a.m. with a worm grunting demonstration by our local expert, Gary Revell, followed by the much anticipated Worm Gruntin’ Contest (this year for children 16 and under only).  So, if you are wondering what in the world worm grunting is, here’s your chance to get educated on an authentic local practice, and actually try your hand at it. 

Events will continue throughout the morning with a demonstration by the Backwoods Barefoot Ballet, followed by the crowning of our Worm Grunter’s King or Queen (we like it to be a surprise).  The afternoon will be filled with excitement with a concert by a Tallahassee favorite, the high energy boogie and blues band, Blind Dillon and the Willin’.  (Visit their website at www.blinddillon.com for more info.)  It will be an entertainment extravaganza as we have our first Hula Hoop contest and our 5th Worm Grunter’s Horseshoes Championship. 

There will be a brief recess in the activities beginning around 5:00 p.m. to allow folks a chance to catch their breath and grab a bite to eat, but things get underway again big time at 7:00 p.m. with the Worm Grunter’s Ball.  This year’s performance is going to be more stupendous than ever with our local favorite band, Wakulla, plus a number of other well known recording artists from the area.   Rick Ott (who organizes all of SPIA’s concerts) and others are arranging a full-blown concert for your enjoyment, so come, listen, enjoy and really get into the spirit and join the dancers celebrating the sensation of our sixth Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’ Festival.  Please note that the Ball is outdoors so bring a chair or blanket for comfort.  Also, out of consideration for our neighbors, the music stops at 10:00 p.m. sharp so get there early to get a good spot and hear your favorite performers. 

If you have any questions, are interested in having a booth, or have 5K race questions, please call (850)962-2020, leave a message and I will return your call within a day.  You can also email me at billlowrie@earthlink.net.



8:00 AM - Vendor booths open

8:15 AM – Registration for the 5K Race

9:00 AM – 5K Race

10:00 AM – Opening ceremonies

10:15 AM – Worm Gruntin’ Demonstration with Gary Revell, professional bait harvester

10:30 AM – Worm Gruntin’ Contest (Children 16 or under) – CASH PRIZE for the most worms by weight

11:30 AM – Backwoods Barefoot Ballet Demonstration

Noon – Coronation of Worm Grunter’s King and/or Queen

12:30 PM – Mt. Trial Primitive Baptist Church Youth Choir

12:30 PM – Bait Casting Contest

1:00 PM – Frank Lindamood Traditional Folk Songs

2:00 – 5:00 PM – Live music with Blind Dillon and the Willin’

1:00 – 2:00 PM – Registration for horseshoe championship

2:00 – 4:00 PM – Worm Grunter’s Horseshoe Championship – CASH PRIZE

3:00 PM – Worm Grunter’s Hula Hoop Contest

7:00  - 10:00 PM – Worm Grunter’s Ball: Dance outdoors with Wakulla and Friends – Susan Solburg, Snorri Solburg, Tommy Owen, Sammy Tedder, Stan Gramlin, Jerry Evans, Dom Laufic, Rick Ott

Bring a chair or blanket


- Submitted to Wakulla.com by Bill Lowrie
- Photo by Karla Anderson Photography

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