Festival photographer and www.starkvilleeats.com producer Troy DeRego photographed the festival in 2007 and 2008. Click the following link to revisit our experiences at downtown Starkville and Mississippi State University’s campus:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/troyderego/collections/72157602944241843/

New York Times columnist Dan Barry and photojournalist Angel Franco visited Starkville for the 2008 festival and produced a thorough account of the weekend’s events and history behind everything.

Read Dan’s story here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/us/20land.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=robbie%20ward%20&st=cse

View Angel’s photos here:  

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/20/us/20081020LAND_index.html

Details to come.

Thanks to all those who attended, the many volunteers who made it happen, and all the supporters of the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival.

We made a lot of great new friends this year, saw some rowdy foot-stompin’ performances, and some spirit-raising moments of redemption. A symbolic pardon was issued by Starvkille city, county, and law enforcement officials to Rosanne Cash and Marshall Grant in honor of Johnny Cash’s “incredible contributions to humanity during his lifetime of achievements.”

The pardon expires in one year and you can bet that we will all be gathered here in Starkville to do it all over again. Until then, in the words of Billy Joe Shaver, “Have fun. Be Careful.”

(Don’t miss a beat. Join our e-mail list over there on the right sidebar!)