By Mynecia D. Steele

The Black Belt Folk Roots Festival is held on every fourth Saturday and Sunday in August.
These days are engraved in the memories of all Greene County residents, one in particular being Mrs. Mary Hicks.
Of the 41 years that the festival has been held, Hicks has been working as a vendor for 30 of those years.  She loves working the event and socializing with her community. Hicks enjoys showing off her work and sharing it with people who appreciate it, as she does. In the past, Hicks has also made baskets for her church, Saint John in Clinton, lead by Rev. Michael Lavender.
Mary Hicks has tried her hand in a multitude of crafts over the years.  Some of her handcrafts include: chairs made from clothing pins and quilts. She has since put those things aside and now focuses on weaving hats and baskets. These crafts are mainly created from pine needles.
Thirty years ago, she learned to make hats and baskets from Mabel Means, now deceased.
Hicks worked as a vendor for the first time, alongside Means. Since Means’ passing, Hicks has begun selling on her own.
According to Mrs. Hicks, creating crafts for the festival requires much preparation. Some of the smaller things, like hats, only take about two days to make. Other projects, like scarves and quilts may require as long as a week to complete.
Over the years the festival has been a way for the community to come together, said Hicks.
She is thankful that the festival has remained the same event that she has always loved.  While she has not sold anything in a few years, she plans to return this year, for the 41st Black Belt Folk Roots Festival.