Teddy Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot a chained black bear during a hunting trip to Sharkey County caused a media frenzy that resulted in the invention of the plush, furry keepsakes known as teddy bears. Roosevelt’s kind heart and adherence to the sportsman’s code spawned political cartoons, novels and jokes that have firmly solidified a place in the annals of American history, and one organization is determined to make sure the story is never forgotten. 

In 2001, on the 100th anniversary of the event, the Lower Delta Partnership created the Great Delta Bear Affair — a festival highlighted by music and family fun to commemorate the area’s spot in American lore. This year’s
celebration is the 14th annual Great Delta Bear Affair and will be Oct. 25 in downtown Rolling Fork.

The festival will begin at 8 a.m. with an inaugural Teddy Bear Color Run before moving into the first musical performance of the day. A total of eight performers will take the stage to complement a Mississippi snake show, prehistoric mound tours, magic show and fireworks starting at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s a fabulous festival. This year we’ve got great entertainment, and then some of the other things that people love,” coordinator Meg Cooper said. “We’ve got some new acts and we’ve got some of everybody’s favorite acts coming back again this year.”

In addition to the jam-packed day of activities, the festival will feature a chainsaw woodcarving artist and food vendors throughout the area. The LDP also sponsors projects in the days leading up to the event, including a Youth Education Day for schoolchildren throughout Warren, Sharkey, Issaquena and Yazoo Counties and teddy bear donations to the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital.

“It’s great and it’s big,” Cooper said. “It’s very important in terms of community pride, in terms of community involvement and just bringing people into our community.”

Admission and parking are free, although donations are accepted. For more information on the Great Delta Bear Affair, visit www.greatdeltabearaffair.org or call 662-873-6261.