There were people to dunk, crafts to browse and buy, funnel cakes to devour and lots of good homegrown musical talent on tap at McKenzie Fest on Saturday.

McKenzie grad Sandy Smith, who is studying photography in college, used her considerable artistic skills to create ladybugs, butterflies, dragons, and more fun and fanciful art on the faces of attendees, including Kelsey McCullough, whose exotic flower surrounding her eye matched the blue and purple shades of her shirt.

Gracie Welch, five, from Monroeville, was thrilled when her tossing skills earned her two shiny goldfish.

“I’m not so sure her parents will be thrilled,” laughed her grandmother, Elizabeth Rumbley.

Marie Braswell was just as delighted as Welch with her find of the day- a miniature cane-back chair “just perfect to put my old doll in.”

The biggest winner of the festival had to be Seth Harris. Harris purchased a raffle ticket for $5 from the McKenzie Quarterback Club outside the Andalusia Wal-Mart.

Mayor Melvin “Blue” Shufford drew that very ticket, tapping the Opp High School grad as the recipient of a $1,000 Wal-Mart Gift card.

Harris made the drive to McKenzie to pick up his card. “This seems like my lucky day, I just may have to buy a lottery ticket,” Harris joked.

McKenzie football coach Miles Brown told the crowd the monies raised went for much more than football at the school.

“Our entire athletic program benefits from this fundraiser. We don’t have the exact final tally, but we cleared at least $6,500. That’s a lot of $5 tickets, and our students sold most of the tickets we sold. They worked really hard for this,” Brown said.

The coach’s own daughter, Maggie Brown, turned out to be the student who sold Harris his “golden ticket.”

“We appreciate the entire community’s support for this endeavor. Both the Andalusia and Greenville Wal-Marts let us sell tickets in front of their stores. This money will go a long way in tough times to help our student athletes,” Brown said.

McKenzie Fest is sponsored annually by the McKenzie VFD. Proceeds from this year’s event will to help furnish the town’s new firehouse.

For photos of this event click HERE