Locate It: Vidalia

Known around the world for sweet onions, Vidalia, Georgia has layers of local flavor. Vidalia is all about getting outdoors for selecting the freshest produce at its farm stands, for hunting, for river excursions, or perhaps for a frolic at the splash pad.

Vidalia’s farms produce much more than its world-famous sweet onions. Farm stands are located throughout the area. Stop for a fresh basket of whatever is in season and talk to the folks who grow this wonderful bounty.

Hunters head to Vidalia for the quail. Enjoy full-day or half-day quail hunts amid wiregrass plantations and longleaf pine forests. Please make reservations 14 days in advance by contacting the Vidalia Convention and Visitors Bureau, www.VidaliaArea.com. Swift Creek Wings is one such quail plantation. Hop on the quail buggy and enjoy a whole or half-day professional bird hunt with a personal guide.

Paddlers will definitely enjoy exploring the rivers of the Vidalia area: the Altamaha, Ohoopee, Ocmulgee, and Oconee. Plan an entertaining day kayaking, canoeing, camping, or fishing along one of our picturesque rivers. Three Rivers Outdoors provides canoe or kayak rentals, guided tours, and an area history lesson.

You’ll certainly see wildlife along the rivers, but for the truly exotic, make reservations to visit Buckhorn Creek Ranch. Here you can hand feed the deer at this 250-acre exotic animal farm boasting several species of deer, wild boar, miniature horses, and even a camel!

Cyclists will enjoy one of Georgia’s prettiest and uncrowded trails near Vidalia, the Yamassee Bike Trail. Pedal through Montgomery County to glimpse expansive cotton fields, old pine forests, and beautiful pecan orchards. Just pack your family and your bikes and follow the trail markers!

On a hot, steamy day in downtown Vidalia, visit the splash pad at Ben Smith Park. Press a button to enjoy a three-minute program of mini fountains of various heights and sizes that are also lit at night. The park surrounding

the pad provides shade and seating and is walking distance to shops and restaurants. It’s a great way to keep cool from Memorial Day weekend -Labor Day.

While you’re downtown, see the Vidalia Onion Fountain behind City Hall, which is a great stop for a photo. The 6-foot stainless steel onion, designed and built by local artist and welder Ruth Williams English, is in a 20’ basin with a center water feature in the onion and 10 individual pumps around it.

Vidalia is also known for events such as the Vidalia Onion Festival, the Southeast Georgia Soap Box Derby, and the Real Squeal Barbeque & Music Festival. Each spring, Vidalia anticipates the harvest of Georgia’s Official State Vegetable at the Vidalia Onion Festival. The events last an entire weekend and include a themed children’s parade, special performances, a fun-filled street dance, arts and crafts festival, air show, Vidalia Sweet Onion cook-off, a Georgia folk-life play, Tales from the Altamaha, and the Kiwanis Onion Run 5K, 10K and one-mile fun run and walk. Also in spring, 200-300 spectators watch as 35 to 40 competitors race down Darby Hill in Lyons for a chance to win the first-place trip to Akron, Ohio to compete in the soap box derby world championship finals.

Then in October, professional barbeque teams travel to Partin Park in Lyons to compete in a Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned contest for $15,000 in prize money. the public is invited to enjoy a street dance along with great barbeque, a classic car cruise-in, the RazorBack Mud Run (an adventure race through the woods, swamp and mud), chainsaw carving competition, kid’s creative play area, arts and crafts, live music, an Indian artifacts show, and fireworks.

Campers can pull the RV into either the City of Vidalia RV Park or the Brewton-Parker College RV Campground for a peaceful stay.

For more ways to have fun in Vidalia, view the Vidalia Visitors Guide.