The Birth Of The Walking Onion
Yumion is the ambassador- at-large for the Vidalia Onion who was “harvested “ in 1980, and he requires tender loving care to carry out his mission.
Let’s reminisce about Yumion’s first birthday: Yumion was “born” when the Vidalia Advance and the Chamber of Commerce got together to create a mascot for their not-soold Vidalia Onion Festival. They approached local artist Wayne McMichael and asked him for his creative input in designing a sketch.
In an archived story in the newspaper, McMichael is quoted as saying, “The whole thing was just sort of a process of elimination. I approached it with the idea of its being a costume…that needed to have a character.”
He continued, “At that time, nobody realized he’d be as big as he is now. Back then, it just seemed like a good idea. Of course, back then, nobody realized the onion would be as big as it is now, either.”
Once the sketch was completed, the Vidalia Advance held a contest asking its readers to name the character. The winning name, “Yumion” came from Mrs. Nell Thompson of Daleville, VA, and — viola!
Once the character was named, Yumion received his service mark on May 18, 1980, by the State of Georgia. Since then, he has traveled around the state, in Canada, and has even made an appearance at a Baltimore Orioles game.
Yumion’s job has extensive details tagged to it, and they include a full layout of the “do’s and don’ts” of his duties. Before he can step out into the public, he has to remember what his mission is.
Under the auspices of the Vidalia Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city of Vidalia, and the Chamber of Commerce, Yumion may attend certain sanctioned events. But there are rules.
For example, Yumion may have to endure hot weather during the festival, but, like all Vidalia onions, he likes cool, dry places. He should NEVER be left in a hot car — and NEVER, EVER in the trunk of an automobile!
He also doesn’t like rain and water, so, he must be kept dry.
Children like to be close to Yumion — and so do adults who still have a connection with their youth. It’s OK for people to touch, hug and shake his hand. But it is NOT OK to punch, tackle, hit, or jump on him in any way.
Obviously, Yumion is a tad rotund which may prevent him from doing certain things — like watching his back. That’s another reason why there’s always an entourage around him to make sure he travels safely though his appointed route.
Granted, we have referred to Yumion throughout this article as “he” but, in fact, that is just a generic gender term. You see, Yumion doesn’t actually speak, so no one knows if Yumion is male or female; a voice would spoil the mystery.
While in public, Yumion must wave frequently and be happy, dance around, and try to get chuckles and smiles out of the children.
When entering doorways (and around ceiling fans), Yumion’s companions must take special care to watch out for his sprouts. Yumion doesn’t want to have chopped tops!
Yumion is as much a part of the Vidalia Onion Festival as fun and sunshine. The association of this life-sized vegetable with Vidalia and what it has meant to the uncountable numbers of guests to Vidalia will forever be a part of the history of Toombs County.
