The 23rd Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’ Festival
The 23rd Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’ Festival will be held Saturday April 12th from 9:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Our theme this year is, “Worms Just Wanna Have Fun” so bring your friends and family to join in all the fun! This one of a kind festival has been putting Sopchoppy on the map and bringing people to visit and enjoy our community for over two decades. Discover Sopchoppy LLC supports the festival along with other markets and festivals throughout the year. Sopchoppy community festivals highlight our local economy, Depot museum, historical treasures, outdoor trails, rivers and scenic byways and historic downtown. These events that bring people together help forge and create a positive community environment. The highlight of the day will obviously be the fine art of Worm Gruntin’ for which Sopchoppy is known!
Start the day with the Wiggle Worm Fun Run with registration starting at 7:00 a.m. and at 9:00 am we’re open for business with live music and other entertainment, over 100 arts and crafts vendors, plenty of food truck options, games for children and adults, the Worm Gruntin' Contest, the Gummy Worm eating contest, Beer Garden, Hula Hoop Contest, Crowning the Queen, Announcing the Scholarship winner and and much more. There will be bands for dancing in the afternoon leading up to our headliner The Blue Factors Band at 5:30 p.m.. The fun never ends with the Worm Grunters’ Ball hosted this year at the Civic Brewery beginning at 7:00 p.m.
This year, we’re excited to announce that we are having a contest to select the 2025 Worm Grunting Tshirt design. Over 21 original designs have been submitted and a winner has been selected! The winning design will be revealed a few days before the event.
Back to the worms! Worm gruntin’ is a traditional method of gathering earthworms for fishing bait. The process involves driving a wooden stake called a “stob” into the ground and using a “rooping iron,” typically made from an old car leaf spring or saw blades, to rub the stob and create vibrations in the soil. This causes the worms to think they’re under attack from moles and they wiggle their way to the surface, making them easy to catch.
According to the pros, it’s best to start gruntin’ early in the day before the sun gets too hot and drives the worms deeper underground. So, make sure you get to Sopchoppy early so you don’t miss your chance to “grunt” some worms.
Snap Revell , a local professional worm harvester will put on a demonstration at 9:45 am. There will be a Worm Grunting Competition starting at 10:00 for those 12 and under to try their hand on the age old practice! D.J. Butch and Alexander Lewis will provide the backdrop music and commentary for the competitions.
We have enjoyed a lot of press coverage over the years and hear from folks from all over the world who make plans well in advance to be here for the Festival. We are expecting a large crowd in the thousands. Last year we estimated 6,000+ guests. There is a nominal entry fee of $1.00 to help off set costs. Veterans & children under 12 are free.
Discover Sopchoppy LLC
https://www.facebook.com/SopchoppyWormGruntinFestival
