News Releases

Wagon rides are part of the family fun offered at the Fall Folklore Jamboree at the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum in Milan. This year's event is scheduled for October 21. Download this image (108 KB)

This October the University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station will once again celebrate the vitality of West Tennessee's agrarian culture by hosting two major events.

The Research and Education Center at Ames Plantation in Grand Junction will present the Heritage Festival and Antique Estates Auction on Saturday, October 14. The Research and Education Center at Milan will hold its annual Fall Folklore Jamboree on October 21.

Both events will feature educational activities for all ages. Operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT.

Details about the Heritage Festival:

Smoothed metal and wood will click into gear as blacksmithing, basket weaving and other traditional skill demonstrations recreate 19th century living. Native American culture and early frontier life, archeology, earthquake studies and modern tree-ring science are among the scientific presentations at the Festival.

Civil War-era cavalry and artillery encampments will also be set up, and this portion of the event will include a live-fire artillery demonstration.

More than 125 folk artists, demonstrators, and musicians will perform at the Festival throughout the day. Food, art and crafts will be available for purchase.

Folk artist Cissye Pierce, of Saulsbury, Tenn., is one of the 125 demonstrators and musicians scheduled to provide a day of family fun and education at the Ames Plantation on October 14. Download this image (1.4 MB)

The antique auction, a new attraction at the Heritage Festival, will feature early Tennessee, antebellum and Victorian furnishings and decorations, along with antique toys. A portion of receipts will go toward the historic preservation program at Ames.

On Friday, October 13, an antique tool auction will begin at the Ames Plantation at 10 a.m. A preview of Saturday's auction will run from noon until 6 p.m.

The Heritage Festival and Antique Estates Auction is presented in cooperation with the Hobart Ames Foundation. Ames Plantation is five miles north of Grand Junction. Parking and shuttle service are free and all-day admission for adults is $4 and $2 for children ages 5-16. For further information, call (901) 878-1067 or visit the Web site http://www.amesplantation.org.

Details about the Fall Folklore Jamboree:

The Fall Folklore Jamboree at Milan celebrates the traditional skills and artistry that honed an era. In all, more than 85 traditional folk artists, local musicians and demonstrators will be on hand to showcase Tennessee's cultural treasures.

Broom and soap making, quilting and doll making are some of the ordinary marvels that will be displayed. Chuckwagon cooking as well as how to make molasses, kettlecorn and apple cider will be demonstrated. Beekeeping, honey production and cornmeal grinding are also on the schedule of events.

Traditional music throughout the day will feature the bluegrass group"Stone County Connection." Civil War re-enactors will set up camp on site to add to the ambiance.

Milan's West Tennessee Agricultural Museum will be open during the Jamboree, presenting life-size displays of the early settlers' everyday challenges and customs. The museum also houses a collection of historical artifacts, equipment implements and materials from the agrarian life.

The 2006 Fall Folklore Jamboree will take place in Milan at the Research and Education Center's north tract, near the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum. All-day admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. For information, call (731) 686-7362 or visit the Web site at http://milan.tennessee.edu.

###

Contacts:

Jamie Evans, Ames Plantation, (901) 878-1067
Delle Rhue Burgess, West Tennessee Agricultural Museum, (731) 686-8067

By Terri Friedman