Shannon Woodruff, the mother of two small children, said she looks for entertainment that won't strain her pocketbook.

"I read that it was free. With two kids, free is the best price," said Ms. Woodruff, one of the patrons at the 15th annual Sweet Potato Festival at Jacksonville Park near Langley on Saturday.

"It's really nice," Ms. Woodruff said. "It's peaceful and relaxing. I like the music."

An array of performers, including several church choirs and gospel groups, took the stage throughout the day.

Among the entertainment was the New Beginning Praise Team, St. John Praise Dancers, Mighty Men of Valor Male Chorus, the Miracles Unlimited Ministry Mime Group and St. Philip's Stepping for God Dancers.

Besides entertainment, there were vendors selling flower arrangements, purses and jewelry, and there was a lot of food items made with sweet potatoes, including casseroles, cakes, breads, pies and souffls.

There also was a pie-eating contest and a sweet potato pie bake-off.

"We started this because we wanted to bring people into the community," said Edith Birts, the president of the Jacksonville Community Commission, the festival's sponsoring organization.

Proceeds from the festival are used for improvements in the community. The event has helped to refurbish the community's historic school building across from the park, Ms. Birts said.

Other repairs are needed on the building, which is more than a century old and served as a schoolhouse for black children from 1895 until 1936.

"We love our old school," Ms. Birts said.

The building still needs some flooring repairs and heating and air conditioning before it can be fully utilized, she said.

The commission also awarded a scholarship Saturday. Theodore "T.J." Rich, a 2006 Midland Valley High School graduate who is attending Newberry College, received a $300 grant.

Reach Charmain Z. Brackett at czbrackett@hotmail.com.