Mayberry Farm Festival crowds seemed to enjoy interacting with these alpacas from the Rainbow Run Farm’s petting zoo. Agricultural as well as horticultural vendors and more than 65 tractors were displayed at the event.
Saturday activity was brisk in downtown Mount Airy, with a host of activities going on during the annual Farm Fest.
“We’ve had a pretty good turnout,” said Mount Airy Downtown Business Association Coordinator Robin Dollyhigh. “We are pleased. People are loving the date change.” Dollyhigh was commenting on the association changing the annual event from a fall festival to spring.
Dollyhigh estimated that more than 65 tractors participated in the event. More than 20 crafts and food vendors were involved.
“We’d like to thank our sponsors for making this possible,” added Dollyhigh. “In addition to the festival sponsors, five local businesses sponsored the petting zoo.”
Nearby, Blacksmith Joe Allen was chatting when he stopped in mid-sentence to go help apprentice Tyler Minor at the forge.
“Gotta keep him going,” said Allen when he returned. “That’s my future working over there.”
Allen, who has been blacksmithing professionally for three years, got the bug watching smiths working at tractor shows. It took him more than four years to turn his interest into a vocation. He works in cooperation with the Triad Area Blacksmith Club.
“My wife had to drag me away,” said Allen. “I started buying bits and pieces of gear and pretty soon I was blacksmithing.”
Allen said that blacksmithing was once considered a dying profession. He said the irony is there are more blacksmiths now than ever before because of the artisan smiths who do decorative pieces.
Things were buzzing at the Surry County Beekeeping Club booth. There seemed to be a constant group of children nosing up to the observation hive and looking at the beekeeping gear.
“Part of our mission is to educate the public,” said Club President Mark Fowlkes. He said that last year the club had 92 people participate in the beginning beekeeping class. Fifty-three participated this year in the class. Where many states and areas are facing a shortage of beekeepers, Surry County seems to be holding its own and even gaining, he said. One example of this is novice keeper Sabrina Dixon. She’s been in the art for about a month after her training.
“I like any type of animals,” said Dixon as she explained why she likes beekeeping. “I rode a horse yesterday. I loved it!”
Dixon has one full deep hive body and a medium sized super on her hive. She says so far things have been going well.
“I got stung but’s that’s normal,” added Dixon. “I’ll be doing this when I’m old. I love bees.”
This year’s festival was kicked off by a tractor parade on Friday. The event featured live music, exhibits of classic farm vehicles and equipment, children’s farm toys, demonstrations of traditional farm activities, arts, crafts, agricultural and horticultural vendors.
Mayberry Farm Fest also featured various games, raffles and prize awards. Walt Leftwich called for the Modern Western Square dancers and line dancing, which was held downtown at 3 p.m. The event was sponsored by the Mount Airy Downtown Business Association.
Reach David Broyles at dbroyles@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1952.
Post a Comment
