Enjoying A Fall Day in the Country this Saturday at the 40th annual Oktoc Country Store

November 2, 2010

For 40 years, the Oktoc Community has come together for a special day of food, music and serious visiting, and Saturday will be no exception.
The 40th Annual “Fall Day in the Country” will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Oktoc Community Clubhouse grounds. The Clubhouse is located nine miles south of Starkville on Oktoc Road.
Sponsored each year by the Oktoc Garden Club, the annual “Fall Day in the Country” is an opportunity to “share in the community spirit of Oktoc,” said Robin Pigg, one of the organizers for the event.
“People love to come out on a nice sunny fall day, enjoy the good stew and fellowship, purchase some homemade bakery items and just relive a little of the past,” Pigg said.
Sallie Whiteside, president of the Oktoc Garden Club, said they are happy to announce several new items for this year’s Oktoc Country Store.
“We will have a table of Christmas items — used but in good condition, Whiteside said. “We are also selling frozen casseroles, including corn bread dressing, sweet potato casserole, a sausage breakfast casserole and squash casserole.”
The frozen casseroles will be served as part of the Country Kitch Bakery, which is always a delicious part of the Country Store. The Country kitchen will also feature homemade pies, cakes, cookies, rolls, and breads.
As always, this year’s Oktoc Country Store will include Brunswick stew lunches and bulk stew, homemade country kitchen bakery items and prepared casseroles, local musical talents, Grandma’s Attic, a handmade quilt raffle, Farmer’s Market featuring local produce.
Brunswick Stew lunches will be sold beginning at 11 a.m. and sold in bulk beginning at noon.
The homemade Brunswick Stew is served by the bowl with crackers and tea, and guests are invited to sit outside with friends and neighbors on picnic tables to enjoy the day’s lunch.
Stew can also be purchased in bulk by the quart or gallon.
Pigg said the main cooks/supervisors are Jason Pigg and Bill Polk who continue to outdo themselves. She said the “Pigg and Polk” team are renowned for their BBQ cooking of pork shoulders, chicken and ribs in Starkville and the Oktoc area. Pigg said they are the previous winners of the Super Bulldog Weekend shoulder division, with nine consecutive wins.
“They are best friends who really enjoy cooking as their hobby and love to help others out,” Pigg said.
The Country Store is also a time for the men of the community come together to “stir stew” and catch up on what’s happening. “Stew stirring” will begin Friday night and will be an all-night event to be ready to serve Saturday morning.
To leave the Oktoc Country Store hungry is to miss the point. A snack table will also be provided selling sandwiches and other treats.
Whiteside said the drawing for the quilt will be held as in the pas, with tickets available for $1 each until the time of the drawing. She said this year’s quilt is “very beautiful.”
Advance tickets may be purchased from a member of the Oktoc Garden Club.
The Christmas items will be part of “Grandma’s Attic” which will also feature crafts and other treasures.
Then, the Farmer’s Market will feature produce from the field, trees and garden, as well as canned jellies and jams.
Money raised at this year’s event will benefit local charities, including Oktoc Fire Dept., Helping Hands, Heart to Heart Hospice, Gideons, Starkville Academy and others.
For more information about this year’s Oktoc Country Store, contact Pigg at piggspointe@aol.com.