The Battle of Byron is here to stay

BYRON, Ga. –  Byron’s Main Street saw a massive amount of foot traffic this Saturday at the Battle of Byron. Downtown Byron was full of children and adults browsing the many vendors lining Main Street, eating at the food trucks, viewing the cars lined up for the Car Show, and participating in the plethora of activities and competitions. This year’s Battle of Byron took place on May 6 and lasted from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This was the first Battle of Byron to take place since 2017.

At the starting ceremony, Byron Mayor Michael Chidester presented Battle of Byron Chairman Austin Simar with a proclamation. The proclamation dictates that the Battle of Byron committee has been revived and wishes to honor those community leaders who dedicated their time to make the festival a reality. The Battle of Byron Festival is dedicated to bringing the community together for a fun-filled day of challenges, food, entertainment, and shopping. The Battle of Byron is completely dependent on volunteers and sponsors for support. Mayor Chidester proclaimed that the first Saturday in May of every year to be the Battle of Byron Festival Day.

The many competitions of the day included limbo, mud volleyball, corn hole, sack races, toddler races, high-heel races, jump rope contests, bubble gum blowing contests, arm wrestling, trike races, hippity-hop races, a pie eating contest, tug-o-war, prettiest leg competition. The majority of these competitions were divided either between children and adults or boys and girls. There was also a jail-n-bail, which allowed attendees to pay a small fee and have a friend or family member jailed in the old Byron Jailhouse.

The festival’s music consisted of multiple musicians; Carol Albert from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., The Soulshine Band from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wyatt Pyles and Dan Kelly and Friends from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., Company of Crows from 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and Josh Courson from 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Simar stated that he was overjoyed with the turnout but the overall amount of people surprised him.

“I think it has been very successful and I am very happy with our turnout and the way that things have gone. I have been very fortunate to have such a good staff helping. I am very satisfied,” Simar said. “I was really getting nervous when we were an hour, hour and a half in, and I could still drive down the street without having to tell people to move. I was getting a little bit nervous. But, the turnout just popped out of nowhere and I was just like wow!”

Simar said the most rewarding part of the Battle of Byron was seeing the reactions of those in attendance.

“Seeing all the smiling faces walking by. I can tell you right now that every smiling face is like a pat on the back, like a thank you, even if they don’t say it,” Simar said. “Just watching them is very rewarding.”

Simar is currently planning on being the Chairman for the Battle of Byron next year.

Mayor Chidester was happy with the turnout and impressed by the work Simar, the committee, and the volunteers put forth.

“I’m really impressed with the job that Austin and his committee have done out here. I had some trepidation about how well it was gonna play, having gone away for five years. I’m really pleased that the crowds are as big as they are, I think they could be bigger but I think as he [Simar] continues to build it up it will improve and become better known, and have more people come out,” Mayor Chidester said. “I really am pleased to see the number of people who are enjoying the battle!”

Both Simar and Mayor Chidester were asked to elaborate on what the Battle of Byron meant to them.

“It’s really important to me, ’cause I went to it when I was a kid and I’ve always had a love for the city of Byron. I believe that everybody has to do their part to make their community a little bit better. I did the best that I could to do that. I figured why not give people something to do, so we brought the festival back. Overall, it is a very important part of my childhood and my life. I’m honored to be serving as the Chairman this year,” Simar said.

“It’s a festival that has taken place in the city of Byron almost since I’ve been here. I moved to Byron in 1997 and the Battle was on hiatus at that point in time. It was resurrected in 1998, if I’m not mistaken, by a dedicated group of people led by Frances McDaniel and folks like that. So, I became an integral part of it for several years. I served on the committee, I was the chairman one year. So, it’s a meaningful event for me and I love seeing all the people out. I love to see all the folks I know, it’s an opportunity to see folks I haven’t seen in a while,” Mayor Chidester said. “For me, personally, it’s just always been an enjoyable way to spend the first Saturday in May.”

For more information on the Battle of Byron and next year’s upcoming Battle, their website can be found here.