NEWTON COUNTY, Texas — Families spent the sunny Saturday in the Shankleville Community for the 8th Annual Texas Purple Hull Pea Festival.
The jammed-packed schedule of events included pea picking contests, live music and getting a glimpse into the past.
Purple hull peas taste just like a black-eyed peas, but some say only better.
Stephanie Lynch drove from Louisiana to Newton County just to get her hands on a bag.
"It just reminds me of my grandmother's house and shelling purple hull peas," Lynch said, "I brought my great niece and nephew with me because they have no idea what a purple hull pea is or how to shell it, but they'll learn because i'm going to pass it the tradition down."
Lynch is one of hundreds who checked out the festival at the historic Addie L. and A.T. Odom Homestead.
Lareatha Clay founded the festival in 2014 and says the entire community was once rich in agriculture and farming.
"We have a pea patch, but this whole field would be peas when my grandparents where here," Clay said.
And to Clay, it's even more incredible that the Shankleville Community was founded by her family.
"Jim and Winnie Shankle were enslaved in Mississippi and Winnie was sold to a Texan, a Methodist minister and moved to this area," she said.
Despite all odds, the two were inseparable.
"He ran away and found out where she was and came here and found her by a spring down there. It's one of the tours we have," Clay said.
It's the spring and walls of Clay's grandparents house that brought Paul Jackson from Nacogdoches to the festival.
"I hope everyone will appreciate the story behind this festival," Jackson said.
This festival allows peas and history to go hand in hand
"I had fond memories with my grandparents picking peas now it's our turn and pass it on to the younger generations," Jackson said.
Clay says planning begins in October and they are already thinking about ways to make next year's festival even better.