JAMESTOWN – For 26 years in a row, the Fentress County Historical Society has held a History Week and Roundup event featuring local historians, genealogists and visitors from Carolina to California.
This year, the one-day event is getting a refresh, and a first-time theme decided to recognizing the arts.
History Week – now being billed as Heritage Day Roundup – will be held at York Elementary School from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 30. The theme is “Fentress County Arts and Artists: Past and Present,” and will feature inside displays that exhibit the history of some of Fentress County’s most notable artists of all kinds, pictures of their particular art forms, plus stories told by local storytellers and live musical performers.
In addition, numerous outside exhibits and demonstrations of historical and current art forms will be set up around the grassy area. These “show and tell” artists and craftsmen will take you back to an earlier time, when such skills were used for both life sustenance and pleasure, and some will have their artistic results for sale.
Genealogy lovers will be able to browse and purchase some of the many books that have been published by local Fentress County residents including those printed or re-published by the Fentress County Historical Society. Bruce York will be on site with his more than 350,000-name database of individuals who have lived in, or passed through Fentress County.
Local artists are invited to participate; the categories of art forms and artistic expression are numerous, and all are welcome, including: storytelling, basketry, blacksmithing, weaving, woodcarving, chair making, horseshoeing, Appalachian/folk ballad, Bluegrass and Southern gospel music, soap-making, quilting, painting (oils/pastels/watercolors/pencil), face painting, pottery, churning, literature/poetry (authors present), photography, calligraphy, printmaking, puppetry, ceramics, jewelry making, sewing, knitting, lace making, embroidery, doll making, designing and making greeting cards, traditional and unique musical Instrument crafters (dulcimer/fiddle; both creating and playing), welding, knife-making, games (marbles/jacks/jump rope, etc.), toy making, grave-dowsing, gravestone carving and gravestone cleaning.
Plate lunches and drinks will be available for purchase.
For more information on how to participate at Heritage Day Roundup, call Debbie Delk at (931) 704-9299 or Willie Beaty at (931) 879-7622 or email wbeaty@twlakes.net .
