In the days before refrigeration, railway cars full of bananas were a regular sight in the Twin Cities of Fulton, Kentucky, and South Fulton, Tennessee. Last week, the towns held their 63rd annual Banana Festival – a celebration of the towns’ history as a former key stop for the country’s fruit imports.
In the late 1800s, cars cooled by gigantic blocks of ice carried fruit between New Orleans and Chicago on the Illinois Central Railroad. Along the way, they would periodically stop to get re-iced and the city of Fulton was the only stop with an ice-plant capable of completing this vital task. At one point, more than 70% of U.S. banana imports traveled through the Twin Cities, earning the area a reputation as the Banana Capital of the World.
Fulton Tourism Director Kenny Etherton said the week-long event brings people together to celebrate the town’s potassium-rich history. He said what continues to bring in new guests for the past six decades – and where the festival gets most of its fame from – is its parading and serving of a“one-ton banana pudding.”
“Everybody wants to see a ton of banana pudding. Nobody believes that you can make one … it's like a wow factor,” Etherton said.
Etherton said tourists are a big part of the Banana Festival, he said the yearly happening has become a sort of homecoming for locals in the region.
“A lot of families get together. It's kind of like Christmas [or] Thanksgiving. A lot of classes have class reunions… it's just a coming together of the Twin Cities,” he said.
Though Fulton native Lai Brooks now calls Memphis home, she said the Banana Festival is always on her calendar.
“I come back every year for this festival. It's just a united front of family and friends, and being able to see my old classmates over the years,” Brooks said. “I always enjoyed this time of year, and it's just a pleasure to come back each year to enjoy it.”
The annual festival wrapped on Saturday after a week ripe with festivities, and officials said preparations for next year's event are already underway.
