BURKVILLE, Ala. — For one day in August, Burkville's population booms by the hundreds.

What started as a neighborhood yard party to savor good times and tasty okra has kicked off a more-than-decade-long celebration in the Lowndes County town — population, 300.

In 1999, Burkville artist Barbara Evans (who creates art under the name "Annie Mae") and her friend, the late Alice Steward, set up a party behind Evans' barn/studio. A couple of years later, they had a full-on festival.

And it continues Aug. 25. We talked to Evans about the humble okra and the big to-do it has created:

Question: Is there something uniquely Southern about okra?

Answer: Okra has long been a staple vegetable of the American South, and in many countries in the world. While Africans prize the "slime" and use it to thicken stews, many Americans try to avoid it. Frying pretty much destroys the slime. People raised with okra are very loyal to it and absolutely love it, slime and all. I've lived in the South much of my life, and I love the flavor of okra.

I've grown it for the past 12 years, but my neighbors grow much more, and I must confess I eat theirs, with their blessing, because it just tears up my sensitive skin to harvest the okra. One year, I planted six different varieties — there's at least 16 different kinds — and I liked all of them.

Question: Is okra more hardy than most crops when it comes to drought and other adverse conditions?

Answer: In late August, particularly in dry years, everything burns up in our vegetable gardens. But not the okra! That's how the Okra Festival was born. My neighbor and I wanted to have a party, and she loved to cook, and the only thing around that was still living was the okra. I always say it's just like Southern folks — hardy, tough and can weather any storm.

Question: What, in your experience, has been the reaction of non-Southerners to being served okra?

Answer: Non-Southerners often have never tried okra. None of my relatives in Pennsylvania have ever eaten it! It depends on the person, of course, but I notice that Yankees need to be pressed to even try it. The way to get them to try it is to fry it. I think it is exclusively rural Southern in the U.S., but a staple in many countries of the world. People who enjoy okra are passionate about it. They don't just like it, they adore it!

Question: What are some of the favorite festival dishes — with or without okra?

Answer: The food is spectacular. It's the variety that draws folks. The Stewart family sells pig ear sandwiches (flapper steaks), and all sorts of home-cooked vegetables. They also do okra wrapped in bacon and, of course, fried okra. There is, of course, fried fish and fried chicken. The Williams Family sells a wonderful okra casserole, ribs, chicken, greens and cakes. Then there is Simon and Debra Harris' gumbo, which is more of a seafood stew with okra. It is delicious!

I sell okra pies, which are really a vegetable quiche with okra. We usually have homemade ice cream. The menus vary from year to year. Plus, we have the Fairview Farmers Market with fresh fruits and vegetables on hand. Donald Stone sells ginger beer, which is non-alcoholic and so refreshing (alcoholic beverages are not permitted). Sometimes he prepares etouffée as well, and it is good and spicy.

Question: About how many people are you expecting this year, and what can they expect in addition to okra?

Answer: Attendance varies. We've had as many as 3,500 people and as few as 800, but it seems to be growing steadily. I think we will break that 3,500 record this year. We are in the country and folks have to park in a field next to where the festival is held — at my house! — but the ground is flat so we have lots of seniors. We'll have a domino table set up for folks who want to play, and there's a children's section.

This year, we are fortunate to have Slim and the Soulful Saints for our music. They are regulars on the Harriett II Riverboat and specialize in old blues. Amos Paul Kennedy will be there with his new poster, but nobody gets to see it until he arrives. It's always a surprise and it is always great.

Question: How do you explain the popularity of the festival, even far beyond Lowndes County?

It's hot and people are bored in August. The Okra Festival, with its unique themes, its lack of commercialism and the crazy but beautiful outsider art and crafts, is easy to get to, we don't charge admission, and prices are very reasonable.

That makes it accessible for those who don't have a lot. And that is the true blessing of the festival. Rich and poor, black and white, old and young congregate, enjoy each other, eat together, dance together and just have a good time together. They say it's like a big family party.

It is an incredible amount of work for me, but it is a labor of love. It showcases my working class community with its modest homes, where people with the biggest hearts in the world live. One of Amos' posters reads, "Okra lovers Unite!" and that's just what we do.