Click on the photos to enlarge them!
My husband and I and two of our friends usually attend this festival every year. The exhibits are much the same, but we enjoy seeing them, eating, and listening to the music – it’s never boring! And the people we encounter are down-to-earth nice, mostly from the surrounding mountains.
The festival is held on the campus of Ferrum College (I’ve heard it pronounced Furrum) in the Virginia mountains towards the end of October, when the tree color is at a knock-your-eyes out level, usually peak. The campus has lots of open areas with winding paths, so there’s plenty of space for all sorts of things.
This year when we entered (the price is only $5.00 each for senior folk), we were lured to the Gospel tent, where some mighty sounds were being generated by the Lanell Starkey and the Spiritual Seven full band African American gospel group. While the men folk listened, the women folk wandered off to find a Port-a-Potty (something we tend to do after three cups of coffee). While waiting in line, I started to chat with an elderly lady clutching a Styrofoam box. She showed me its contents: a most mouth-watering barbecue sandwich I’d ever seen! So after passing some dessert-laden 
tables and doing my best to ignore them, we grabbed the men and 
headed to the barbecue tent. It was almost noon and the smells emanating from the tent just pulled you in.
After the smoky, delicious barbecue, we walked over to observe a 
coon dog contest. A raccoon pelt is run up a pole, the dog is released and the number of times the dog barks while trying to get to it is recorded. The record was 62 that day.
Then on to an area with old farm implements: steam 
engines, tractors, plows etc. One large steam engine let out a wail every few minutes. It was powering a belt that was running a thrasher – thresher for most of 
us. We talked to the owner of the engine and admired a 1909 Ford model T truck he had put together from bits and pieces. Another, smaller steam engine was being used to grind corn. After admiring a few more pieces of antique equipment, we crossed the main road to the crafts section.
This was more my style: sorghum molasses making: a 
place to buy homemade apple, peach, or pear butter; a wool-dying demonstration; a working forge with an older than the mountains fellow making various items with commentary by his son; a walnut cracking station; leather works; a weaving demonstration on small looms; and finally, the antique car show.
At that point, I sat down at the entrance where all the Ford Model Ts, As and Bs were parked and just admired the cars. By now most of my readers know I love the old Fords. The men went further down in the lot to admire the old muscle cars from the 40s, 50s and 60s and chat with the owners. They do it every year, never changes!
Next came ice cream. We wandered back across the campus and around the lake, stopping to watch a coon dog contest where the contestants swam across the lake following a raccoon pelt on a line. The shortest time won $500: three minutes and we got to see the winner. The ice cream is homemade, right there on the spot, using a steam engine to turn the cranks. My better half had peach, our friends, butter pecan.
After sitting and talking to people while eating the ice cream, mostly politics, we headed to our last stop and my favorite by far: the bluegrass music tent. There we sat and listened to the Highlander String Band (dulcimer, fiddle, banjo and guitar) and then the Rohrer Brothers and Son (banjo, base, guitar). Foot tapping for sure and some little girls – and an adult or two – dancing.
We arrived home mid-afternoon, full of good food and carrying peach and apple butter to remind us of a great time!
Run a pigeon up that coon dog pole and Ani would win hands down.
I’d love to see that!
So would Ani 😉
Well I just finished eating dinner and, after reading your post, I’m hungry again!
Barb, it was so hard on me! I’m on a diet and couldn’t eat any of the food!
It looks a wonderful thing to do – you lucky things! I must get off my bottom and find something fun like that around here!
They are all over the place – maybe you can find a Christmas fair?
You haven’t been to Levin!!!!! The only decent road here is the bypass!
Mmm, sounds small. But then in Iowa City, the overpass is the highest thing for miles around!
LOL!
Sounds like a great day out, Noelle! I would have loved the craft stalls. 🙂
I bought a ton of yarn there last year and was so tempted this year because there was some in a delicious shade of blue!
Last year I experienced a Fergburger I Queenstown in New Zealand which was easily the most extraordinary thing I’ve tried to eat in a bun. Sounds like yours would run it close..
Fergburger…mmm. What was it named for? Pork or beef? Of course anything outside where you can smell the cooking is twice as good!
Great post, I think my favorites are the coon competition and the Model T’s. Very cool!
Mine, too – you should think about going next year!
What a lovely event! I would have been in heaven from the antique farm implements onward. I love that sort of stuff. You always learn something new! Those homemade butters sound like they could be a major weakness for me, too. The last market I went to, I bought $50 worth of honey…. and do not regret a single, delicious drop! 😉
Y’all need to come for a visit and go with us one year! We love introducing people to the Va mountains and their talented inhabitants!
Sounds like an awesome autumn day! 🙂
It definitely was!
What a fun festival! And seeing the church ladies with their baking spread out, how did you ever avoid dessert? It must be a full sensory experience!
For me, the most wonderful and awful part were the delicious aromas of all the food. I was and am still on a diet and couldn’t eat anything, although I did sneak a small bite of the barbecue sandwich!
Sounds like fun!
Sounds fantastic, and so exotic compared to what goes on over here!
And I think what happens in your neck of the woods is exotic!
Thank you, it was like being there:)
You are most welcome. I don’t know where you are located but you should visit!
I see you live in Southern India I’ve long wanted to visit India, My father, who was a professional tennis player, visited India with my mother as a representative of our State Department to teach and play tennis as a way of stimulating interest in the sport. They told me how beautiful it was!
Look like you guys has such a fun time! The dog contest seems very interesting! 😊
The dogs are amazing. They are all kinds from mutts to pure bred and they always have puppies for sale, so I have to walk through the dog area with my eyes straight ahead – or I’d take one!
Wow how I wish I was there!! Hahaa I can totally understand you wanting to take a pup back home.. They can melt our hearts easily 😍
If I’d bought a puppy. my husband would have shot me! We’ve had many, many animals over the years – 5 cats and3 dogs at one point. We are down to two now – an aging cat and an older dog and he says no more. But I know we’ll always have a cat!
aww..I can totally understand! I love animals too but don’t own any pet right now..maybe someday soon 🙂