Folk Festival Offers

Window to the Past

by:Bobby McDonald

 

Load-up the kids, go by and pick-up grandma and grandpa, and make a day of family fun at the Hopkins County Historical Museum on Saturday, May 14th. It's time for the annual Folk Festival to be held at Heritage Park. Folks that you know from across the county will be gathered, with many of them in period costumes, and they will be on hand to show you just how your parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents, lived in Hopkins County, when things weren't quite so modern.

Verdon Graves, past president and local volunteer at the Historical Park, was on hand this week, as he went about spending his time cleaning, polishing, and getting the area ready for all of the visitors on Saturday. "There are many chores that have to be completed before we open the park to the public on Saturday," denoted Graves, with a rag and cleaning bottle in hand.. "The historic buildings always have a thick coat of dust and the spiders and dirt-dobbers find our buildings especially attractive, when they aren't in use!"

Mr. Clean? No, it is Verdon Graves one of the
volunteers at the Hopkins County Historical Park
giving the buildings a "shine" before Saturday's
Folk Festival.

Then, Jerry Gillem was spied on the lawn mower making certain that the grounds were maintained to perfection, and don't let him tell you that he does it with hand implements, the old-fashioned way. He was "whipping around the grounds" on a modern, high-powered mower, at top speed. "There are just some things that you don't want to go back and make a habit of using," stated Gillem. "Especially, when the more modern technology is available!"

Saturday promises to be an eventful day with demonstrations of butter churning, blacksmithing, candlemaking, quilting, and wood carving all on display. Local dutch oven cooks will be in attendance, showing how this art of range cooking was done, as well as the art of making apple butter. Hands-on demonstrations of tomahawk throwing and log sawing will be available for those that want to test their skills with the talents of their forebearers.

Local artisans will be demonstrating how to complete tin punching projects and even the art of making stained glass windows. The Lone Star Quilt Guild will be in attendance and have quilting frames set up as they demonstrate the art of quilting. They will also have displays of historic quilts and some that the local guild has recently completed..

Jerry Gillem, that don't look like an antiquated machinie! Jerry was
"spied" mowing the grounds of the Hopkins County Historical
Museum prior to Saturday's Folk Festival.

Admission is a bargain at $2.00 for adults and children under 12 free of charge. However, the local Historical Society asks that you bring two or more cans of food to be donated to the Local Food Bank, in helping our community to continue to meet the needs of every citizen.

The Festival begins at 9:00 a.m. and goes throughout the day, until 4:00 p.m. It's the perfect opportunity to learn about your heritage and meet all of your friends and neighbors for a social occasion.

Concessions will be available, and Hopkins County Stew will be served at lunch. Come join the fun at the Hopkins County Heritage Park, located at 416 N. Jackson Street, in Sulphur Springs.

 

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