Bishop Park was host to several hundred people, who came out to enjoy the food and festivities at the 2018 Sebastopolooza.
Beginning with a 5k race, walk and fun run at 8 a.m., Sebastopolooza kicked off with over 80 runners making the 3.1-mile journey through the park and around town.
Ffion Price, a native of Wales, who came to Mississippi State University on a track scholarship, took first place in the 5k race with a time of 16:56. Price said she had a great time running and enjoyed the rural Mississippi course.
“The race course is pretty nice,” she said. “It went by a lot faster than I thought it was going to.”
Price said she was drawn to running as a young girl, but really only started running at 16, about 8 years ago.
“It’s a good stress reliever,” she said. “On days I don’t run, I kinda stress out and get really angry.”
Of course, runners were not the only visitors to Bishop Park, as Sebastopolooza offered something for just about everyone. Vendors offering everything from raw honey to hand-carved furniture dominated one side of the park, while a bounce house, pumpkin patch and playground offered plenty of child-friendly activities and games.
In the center of the park, a large stage hosted local musicians and choirs serenading visitors as they ate at picnic tables, browsed the vendor stalls or travelled about the park via toy train.
Pam Hillman, a local Inspirational Christian Romance author, said she makes it a priority to come to Sebastopolooza every year.
“I always come to Sebastopolooza, Union Country Day and the Wildlife Day at the Coliseum,” she said.
Beside giving her an opportunity to sell books – Sebastopol does not have a bookstore – she said it also lets her catch up with the community, visit with readers and get feedback on her latest novel.
Blake Schneider, who came along to support Price, said he thought Sebastopolooza was a great event. Although he did not run, he said he and Price would most likely be visiting one of the many food vendors and hanging around a bit before journeying back to Starkville to watch MSU play against Texas A&M.
