Sweet Potatoes on Parade
Every third week in March, farther back than anyone can remember, Hal
& Mal’s Bar in Jackson, Miss., has put on the parade to end all
parades. Combining St. Patrick’s Day, the advent of spring, and any
other reason they can tack on to celebrate, this event is well
established and downright beloved by Mississippians and outsiders alike.
Malcolm White, affectionately known as Mal, and his brother Hal began
this parade before the bar was even on the map. Today, however, the bar
directly sponsors it along with Budweiser, and the event has grown from
one small parade into a 5,000-person party lasting several days and
requiring a 60- by 150-foot tent outside of the bar to hold everyone.
The event gained serious momentum years ago, when a series of books
about the “Sweet Potato Queens” by Jill Connor Browne became national
bestsellers.
“We call it women’s spring break,” says Owner Malcolm White. “About
2,000 women from all over the country dress up in various assorted
costumes as different versions of the Sweet Potato Queens.”
Friday night marks the beginning of the extravaganza as the tent fills
for the Sweet Potato Queen Ball. By noon on Saturday, some 50,000
people have descended on Jackson to watch the parade. The actual parade
encompasses 50 motorized floats, several marching bands, and without
question — all of the Sweet Potato Queens. The money raised during
these two days is always turned over to the Blair E. Batson Hospital
for Children, and since its beginning the parade has raised more than
$300,000 for this local charity.
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