The East Texas Yamboree, a four-day event held annually during the third weekend of October in Gilmer, Texas, celebrates the sweet potato (called a "yam" in the United States) as a former cash crop, drawing thousands of tourists to the city for the occasion each year. The event has been held in Gilmer since 1935. Festivities at the event include the Queen's Coronation Pageant, a carnival held around the town square, two parades--the first being the school parade with floats built by the different Upshur County Schools and different East Texas marching school bands. There is a marching contest for the high school bands on Friday. School floats are also judged, and the floats that earn first, second and third places are in the Queen's Parade, which takes place on Saturday. Other activities include a barn dance and livestock shows for the area FFA participants. Gilmer, Texas is the County seat of Upshur County and during this one week, the population of Gilmer grows in size from 5,000 to over 100,000 people. There have only been two times that they have not held the East Texas Yamboree and that was during wartime during World War II and recently when the COVID-19 pandemic started.
History
To celebrate the Texas Centennial, counties around the state were tasked with having festivals. It was decided that Upshur County would celebrate the yam, once again thriving due to the recent lifting of a quarantine on the former cash crop. The quarantine had been put in place in the late 1920s, as the result of a weevil infestation. The festival proved to be so popular that the committee decided it would take place yearly from then on. It was temporarily suspended in 1941 due to World War II, and resumed in 1945; besides 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, resuming in 2021.
Past Yam Queens and Presidents
Year2019 East Texas Yamboree Catalogue President Queen1935 R. C. Barnwell Jane Tuttle1936 J. R. Penn Marjorie Coe1937 W. C. Barnwell Ruth Hogg1938 V. E. Todd Ernestine Dedman1939 Fred Arnold Bobby Jean Warren1940 Clarine Smith1941 Genice Graves1942 Betty Ann Quiz1946 John Brogoitti Ann Wilkinson1947 B. D. Futrell Nell Brison1948 Royce Hogg Barbara King1949 Ralph Michael Angela Hogg1950 Don Williams Lena Margaret Harper1951 Robert E. Parsons Joyce Isbell1952 Wessel Wilson Linda Carroll1953 Looney E. Lindsey Diane Dupree1954 F. L. Garrison Carol Cox1955 B. L Hogg Mary Lou Ragland1956 Bill Stevenson Anna Beth Jones1957 Mason Reardon Sue Sorrells1958 Leon Presnell Mary Laschinger1959 Melvin M. Cross Ann Buie1960 James Croley Margaret Ingram1961 Gordon Finney Patricia Aldredge1962 Richard Potter Kay Floyd1963 Tom Davis Cathy Kurtz1964 Harlan Thacker Karen Clark1965 C. E. Elwell Linda Garrison1966 Phil Wood Donna Williams1967 Harvey Arnold Nancy Williams1968 Dr. Bob Glaze Mary Jo Proctor1969 Kenneth White Lana Sisson1970 Dewitt Alexander Laine Potter1971 Fred Odom Cindy Clark1972 Steve Dean Laura Potter1973 Bill Beisch Donna Stracener1974 Frank Breazeale Mary Jane Ford 1975 Byron Spencer Stephanie Mayfield 1976 Bill Patterson Phebe Phillips 1977 Don Smith Ellizabeth Ann Patterson 1978 Robert Stracener Susan Stracener 1979 Bill Taylor Ann & Nan Poole 1980 Steve Williams Pam Yocom 1981 Jack Baird Kim Listenbee 1982 Larry Henson Darrellene Wilson 1983 Cranfill Cox, Jr/Larry Henson Peggy Lawler 1984 Dr. Andy Glaze Teri Smith 1985 Paul David Williams Fran Traywick 1986 Dr. Randy McDaniel Victoria Mitchell 1987 Elliott Dean Amy Dean 1988 Pete Herrmann Kay White 1989 Tedd Austin Jennifer Bishop 1990 George Dodd Christi Seahorn 1991 Gary Patterson Mary Jane Dean 1992 Dr Jerald Walton Tracy Diane Williams 1993 Kelly Cox White Anna McDaniel 1994 Steve Stewart Sarah Lenora Dean 1995 David McQueen Natalie Young 1996 A. L. Payne Lesley Erin Glaze 1997 Randy Hill Abigail Elaine Stewart 1998 Larry Cowan Hayley Carol Smithhart 1999 Nat Harrison Elizabeth Anne Daniels 2000 Dr. Dean Bums Summer Layne Weisinger 2001 Joe Lynn Tillery Adrienne Lee Lindsey 2002 W. Dennis Despain Nancy Marie Warden 2003 F. Wayne Skinner Courtney De-An Bums2004 Brian Williams Ann-Marie Despain2005 Dr. David Buller Katie Elizabeth Mannis2006 Phil Fowler Mary Carol Despain2007 Jeff Dodd Leslie Taylor McQueen2008 Michael Leon Melton Stephanie Lynn Henson2009 Dr. Steve Murry Lindsey Renee' Donaho2010 Judge Dean Fowler Kaitlyn Blair Tackett2011 Randy Hill Drew Danielle Henson-Hill2012 Richard (Ricky) Holloway Mary Paige Linder2013 Ray Culberson Karlie Carol White2014 Randy Duke Alexis Marie Williams2015 Edward Williams Jayce Savanna Finch-Henson2016 Shayne Wilson Riley Mackayla Meritt2017 Brandon Garmon Madison Lee Dean2018 Troy Murray Brinkley Grace Rash2019 Michael Blanks Audrey Scott Nolan2020 Kyle Bowden Carleigh Judd2021 Rucker Joel Murry Hannah Jean Henson2022 Jordan Glaze Caroline Michelle Dean2023 Abigail Elaine Stewart Addison Jayne Young2024 Brett Williams Katie Ella Henson
See also List of festivals in the United States List of museums in East Texas
References
External links Official Yamboree site