Staff Writer
Pig intestines.
![Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good." Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff](http://chronicle.augusta.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/editorial/images/spotted/82/826796.jpg "Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good." Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff")
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good."
![Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good." Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff](http://chronicle.augusta.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/editorial/images/spotted/82/826684.jpg "Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good." Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff")
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good."
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
Fried chitlins were the main attraction at the 44th annual Chitlin Strut
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
Fried chitlins were the main attraction at the 44th annual Chitlin Strut
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
Lauren Rickabaugh, Chitlin Strut Queen, waves during the parade
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
Lauren Rickabaugh, Chitlin Strut Queen, waves during the parade
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
The town of Salley, S.C. welcomed thousands to the 44th annual Chitlin Strut
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
The town of Salley, S.C. welcomed thousands to the 44th annual Chitlin Strut
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
James Chandler adds chitlins to boiling water. The chitlins were boiled or fried. The event was started in 1966 to raise money for the town of Salley's Christmas decorations.
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
James Chandler adds chitlins to boiling water. The chitlins were boiled or fried. The event was started in 1966 to raise money for the town of Salley's Christmas decorations.
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
The event was started in 1966 to raise money for the town of Salley's Christmas decorations.
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
The event was started in 1966 to raise money for the town of Salley's Christmas decorations.
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
A pig mascot waves at the crowd during the parade at the Chitlin' Strut Saturday.
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
A pig mascot waves at the crowd during the parade at the Chitlin' Strut Saturday.
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
Jack Walling puts chitlins onto a plate. According to city councilman Mark Hartley, about 4,000 pounds of cooked chitlins were served
Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff
Jack Walling puts chitlins onto a plate. According to city councilman Mark Hartley, about 4,000 pounds of cooked chitlins were served
That's what brought almost 25,000 people together Saturday in Salley: the 44th annual Chitlin' Strut, a festival that celebrates one of the South's more unusual delicacies.
Complete with a parade, beauty pageant, talent show and tractor show, the event takes place every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
The Chitlin' Strut started in 1966, according to Bob Salley, the mayor of the town. He said that the first strut was organized to help raise money for Christmas decorations around town, with almost 600 pounds of chitlins consumed.
Salley got its Christmas decorations that year, and every year since as dedicated volunteers plan months in advance to have their town visited by scores of people, all in pursuit of chitlins.
Grayson Joyce, 14, is an outfielder on the Wagener-Salley High School baseball team. Members of the baseball team take three-hour shifts throughout the day, hovering over vats of 3,200 pounds of sizzling chitlins.
"This pays for our uniforms," he said.
This year, in addition to chitlins, visitors could watch the first ever chitlin-eating contest, sanctioned by the World League of Competitive Eating.
Dale Boone claims to be the current reigning world champion in the WLOCE, having just returned from a cobra-eating contest in Bangalore, India. He said that, even more than cobra or crocodile eggs, chitlins were the weirdest thing he has eaten yet.
Mr. Boone won the chitlin-eating contest, downing 31/4 pounds of chitlins in 10 minutes.
The festival is about more than just fried pig innards, Mr. Salley said.
The townspeople serve up Southern hospitality with the chitlins, making every visitor feel welcome.
"It's feels like you've come home," Mr. Boone said.
Reach Gracie Shepherd at (706) 724-0851 or t.gracie.shepherd@augustachronicle.com.
Back ![Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good." Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff](/sites/default/files/editorial/images/spotted/82/826796.jpg "Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good." Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff")
![Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good." Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff](/sites/default/files/editorial/images/spotted/82/826684.jpg "Rock Ramsdale, of Denmark, S.C., eats fried chitlins as Fred Thomas, of Spartanburg, S.C., watches during the 44th annual Chitlin Strut in Salley, S.C. "I walked a mile to get these chitlins," joked Mr. Ramsdale. "I love them. They good." Jessica Webb Sibley/Staff")
What is SOUTERN?Can't proof-read the headlines?
wizzard, not proof reading is an AC tradition going back at least 37 years. (that's how long I've been aware of the tradition) Since the AC is in Augusta, and Augusta is sho' 'nuf Southern, then SOUTERN must be part of the Southern tradition. [this deduction was brought to you by basic extrapolation]
Picky Picky Picky
Still can't figure who would eat this nasty stuff...and I am Southern ..born and bred.
I thought they were chitterlings?
Its amazing what some comment....If you only present negative why present. Have a better spirit about what people do and how they live. Its really not that serious, people eat what they eat and you eat what you eat. My goodness....
The one item I find is amazing is the information about the baseball uniforms. That would not work here in SPLOSTville Georgia. If we need it, we Splost it, who ever heard of working for something that the taxpayer is more than willing to pay for. In fact I recommend we have a festival called the Augusta SPLOST and we can celebrate about once a quarter. Why heck we have had so many SPLOSTs that I can't even remember what they were for, but I see the beautiful results every time I am forced to go downtown.
Salley has the "guts" to STRUT!
Now, that's something to be proud of...."Yes, my name is ___________ and I'm Miss Chitlin' Strut!"
I've ate fried and boiled chitlins. They're ok unless you find a piece of corn in one.