Spring Planting Festival at Big South Fork Saturday, April 25

Date: April 20, 2009
Contact: Howard Duncan, 423.569.9778

Mules pull farm equipment at the Spring Planting Festival

NPS

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area will be hosting the Ninth Annual Spring Planting Day Celebration on Saturday, April 25, 2009.  The event will take place in the areas adjacent to the Bandy Creek Visitor Center and the Lora Blevins home place from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. 

In order to better preserve the historic landscape of the Lora Blevins farmstead this year’s festival will be held at both the Bandy Creek area and the Blevins farmstead.  Most of the planned demonstrations will occur in the open areas near the Bandy Creek Visitor Center.  These planned demonstrations include quilting, flint knapping, woodcarving, chair caning, soap making, and basket weaving.  The Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club will also be performing throughout the day at Bandy Creek.

Demonstrations scheduled for the Blevins farm will include blacksmithing, and mule and horse teams working the field and planting sorghum seed.  There are also plans for a display of several kinds of farm animals at the barn, a display on herbs and their uses, a demonstration on making fence palings and a display of historic photographs from the Lora family.

The Spring Planting Festival was begun in April of 2001 as a celebration of spring and as a cooperative effort involving our local park communities and neighbors.  It has been a way to utilize our historic sites and fields within the park while preserving the cultural landscape.  Visitors have an opportunity to see a bit of our ancestors’ way of making a living. 

Parking for the Festival will be in the parking lots across from the Bandy Creek Visitor Center.  Transportation will be available for those who choose to visit the planting site.  Bring a picnic lunch and spend the day.  Food will also be available for sale through a vendor.

Join park staff and volunteers as they demonstrate traditional crafts and skills associated with farm life and chores.   The event is free of charge and open to the public, however, the festival may be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.

For further information, call Bandy Creek Visitor Center at [phone].