About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2025)
Community Thursday June 12, 2025 The Eatonton Messenger The floats by Stay Country and Luxury Dream Vacations were awarded following the 2025 Dairy Festival Parade. Dairy Festival delivers again for Eatonton Photos & Story by Ian Tocher ian@msgrnews.com Since the inaugural event in 1953, the Pilot Club of Eatonton has been presenting the annual Dairy Festival, held each June to officially commemorate Dairy Month. This year’s event was kicked off Friday night by a live performance by pop-rock cover band GridRocked before a sizable crowd on The Plaza’s front lawn. On Saturday, activities centered around the down- town Putnam County Court- house after being kicked off early in the morning by the one-mile Brer Terrapin Trot running race, followed by lengthier 5K and 10K events. At 10 a.m., a lengthy Dairy Festival parade featuring floats, tractors, classic cars, and winners of the annual Dairy Festival Queen pageant entertained thousands of people lining the streets of downtown Eatonton. To officially open the Dairy Festival, Pilot Club Presi dent Becky Wall welcomed several local dignitaries, including Eatonton Mayor John Reid with his wife, City Councilmember Janie Reid, City Councilmembers Mylle Mangum and Chip Walker, County Commission Chairman Bill Sharp with Commissioners Richard Garrett and Tom McElhenney, Putnam County Clerk of Courts Trevor Addison and County Tax Commissioner Terrell Abernathy, Sheriff Howard Sills, Putnam County Coroner Hollis Harrison, Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney T. Wright Barksdale, Superior Court Chief Judge Alison Burson, Probate Court Judge Brandy Huskins, and Chief Magistrate Judge Dorothy Adams. Wall also presented to Bryce Trotter, executive director of Georgia Milk Producers, Inc., a certificate of appreciation for “outstanding leadership and support to the dairy industry.” Trotter later gave a brief speech, emphasizing the county’s proud dairy history and praising the Pilot Club and local citizens for continuing to recognize and support local dairy farmers. Entertainment throughout the day was provided by Ray Saltamacchio’s Tang Soo Do Karate, Putnam County High School singers Audrey Sumner, Kellsey Ortega, and Aidan Brock, among others; well-known Uncle Remus storyteller Georgia Smith, and Greene County’s Ever green Folk group featuring sisters Helen, Elisa, and Lily Garcia-Carreras, as well as several Putnam County Middle School theatre and chorus students. Executive Director Bryce Trotter received the 2025 Dairy Award on behalf of Georgia Milk Producers Inc. in Pictured are the winners in the Dairy Festival pageant (L-R): Ellie McMillian, Emerson Price, Joelyn Madden and 2025 Dairy Festival Queen Presley Moss. 1 V Pictured are the winners in the Tiny Miss Category (L-R): Ferryn Pinkerton, Kensley Williams, Hanalei Martin and Pruitt Womack (Tiny Miss Queen). Classic cars parade through Downtown Eatonton during the Putnam County Dairy Festival. • • Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills enters the parade in style. John Warren Yates, much better known as "Radioman," gets interviews from some Dairy Festival attendees. A. a - Tractors take a break from the fields to parade through Eatonton. Mothers Against Crime's Georgia Benjamin-Smith waves during the parade.
