Countryhamfest.com - Country Ham Fest - (1 of 5 points)

After sitting out last year’s festivities, we decided to attend the Country Ham Festival for the first time this year. I don’t normally feel the need to give feedback, but this event definitely calls for a bit of constructive criticism. First off, the hamfest site clearly says “Two Days of FREE Family Fun”. So we drive out there to find that there is an admission charge. Really? Thinking I might have misread, I check the site again. Nowhere that I can find is an admission charge mentioned, including under the “information” link, the obvious place to post such information. So deliberately misleading people gets us started on the wrong foot, but what’s a few dollars among friends?

So we pay up and enter. Hmmm, first impressions. I’m used to seeing vendors at a festival, but apparently the vendors at ham fest *are* the attraction. Call me crazy, but I didn’t really come down on a weekend to talk emergency rooms or hire a new dentist for my kid.

I suppose one could claim that the band was an attraction, except that the hamfest site promises “live professional music”. If the music played at hamfest was professional, then hamfest has a child labor problem. When we were there we saw a bunch of little kids on stage singing camp songs and playing so badly off tune that the “professional” band felt the need to comment on it. Sadly, the “professional” band sounded just as bad but lacked the cuteness of the kids. So the entertainment was a complete dud, which leaves…pretty much nothing.

I’ve saved the best for last. It should be apparent, but shouldn’t a “COUNTRY HAM” festival feature at least a bit of country ham? If you thought that you would be mistaken. There was no country ham in sight, unless you counted the little piggy at the kids petting pen. Just lots of fair food like nachos and hot dogs and funnel cakes. If I wanted a hot dog, I could get a better one at Costco for less money while being better entertained. A festival name change is clearly in order. The only country ham to be had was found after the festival down the road at Cracker Barrel. Seriously, WHERE’S THE HAM?!

All in all, we went in with low expectations, and hamfest delivered less than was expected. Next year, they should concentrate on honesty, ham, and entertainment, in that order. Or, just pack it in and call it a day. I’ve seen much better festivals than this go belly up. I doubt anyone in Spring Hill or anywhere else would shed tears over this hamless fest.

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