The third weekend of October is an incredibly special time of year in my hometown. A longstanding event takes place downtown on Main Street called Folklife Festival. Many of us who were raised here have been fortunate enough to experience its splendor every year from childhood through adulthood.

It's one of those events that consistently brings back scads of college students and former residents for the entire weekend.

Local residents usually stroll the streets looking for their favorite food stands. Personally, I always head for the catfish sandwiches and kettle corn. That stuff is A+, to say the least. Live music from years past can be heard all along Main Street. Families bond, couples stroll, and dogs hang out with their humans on the sidewalk. For some of us, the crowds can get a bit overwhelming, but it's totally worth it.

On Saturday afternoon, I went down to the festival for about an hour with my friend Cori. I actually wasn't all that hungry (!!!), but I had no reason to worry, because I knew I'd be back on Sunday to cater to my lunch needs.

While I spent time down on Main Street with my friends on Saturday and Sunday, I decided to put my (mom's) camera to good use and the results turned out so much better than I even expected.

Folklife Festival 2016 through my lens: