The 42nd annual Portal Turpentine Festival celebrating the heritage of Portal kicked off early on Saturday, October 7, 2023 with 5k which saw over 70 participates.
Then citizens lined the streets for the annual parade at 10 AM which was live streamed by Grice Connect.
Portal City Council member Jerry Lanigan served as this years Grand Marshall.
After the parade, thousands flocked to the Turpentine Still for food and fun. Attendees purchased turpentine, turpentine soap, rosin potatoes, and much more. The festival concluded with a street dance.
Special thanks to Portal City Clerk Linda Harrington for her wonderful hospitality and providing us access to the City Hall complex for the live stream.
I was joined today with a few members of the Grice Connect team. Fred David, Sponsor and Advertising Lead and his daughter Lily David drove the Grice Connect car in the parade and distributed GC and Grice Good stickers. Lori Grice and Ja'Kori Cope also joined us at the parade and festival.
Live stream of the Portal Turpentine Festival Parade
Special thanks to Portal's Jennifer Yates who joined me for the Portal Turpentine Parade broadcast. Jennifer is very involved in the community and provided lots of local background information along with helping us salute Portal's best.
A Grice Good goes out to Tim Cook and all of his committee of volunteers who work tirelessly to organize and coordinate this annual event that is important in keeping the important Turpentine legacy alive.
Another Grice Good to Portal Police Chief Jason Sapp and his team of dedicated officers, along with GSP and Bulloch Sheriff's deputies who worked double time today to ensure a safe and fun event for everyone.
This coverage is made possible thanks to the generous support of one of Bulloch County's newest industries SECO ECOPLASTIC as part of their partnership in supporting strong local journalism through Grice Connect.
