Go back in time at Spring Farm Day at Landmark Park

What was life like on a Wiregrass farm in the late 1800s? How did families get their food? What did the children do for fun? Was it a difficult way of life?

The answers to these and many other questions will be provided Saturday, when Landmark Park hosts its annual Spring Farm Day.

Bring along a straw hat and maybe a blanket or two and enjoy the activities and the entertainment that will be on display from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Along the way, visitors just might pick up a notion or two about how their ancestors enjoyed life on the farm.

“One of the main reasons we put on this event is to pay tribute to our agricultural heritage,” said William Holman, executive director of Landmark Park. “We hope to show how our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents lived during that time period. Added to that, we also want to recognize the contributions of our farmers today - to pay tribute to the folks who produce our food and fibers.”

This will mark the third year that Landmark Park has hosted the Alabama State Horse and Mule Plowing Contest.

“Hosting this contest is another way to pay tribute to our heritage,” Holman said. “This form of plowing is a time-honored tradition.”

The winner of the event will qualify for the national competition in Ohio.

“We’ve had people from as far away as South Carolina compete in this event,” Holman continued. “We invite anyone who has a mule or horse to enter. It’s a friendly competition. Joe Bullard, from north Alabama, who has judged in the national competition, will be our judge for this event.”

Music will also be the order of the day. The park will host an Old-Time Fiddlers Convention.

“The Old-Time Fiddlers Convention is another crowd favorite,” Holman said. “The neatest thing, to me, and one of the reasons we put on the fiddlers competition is to get young people to pick up a fiddle and learn to play the old music. We want to keep the tradition alive. We now have more young people competing than older ones.

“The Fiddlers Convention is a very old tradition. We’re happy to continue that tradition.”

In addition to the fiddlers competition, musicians are invited to take part in jam sessions that are held in the one-room schoolhouse. The music, however, doesn’t stop there.

“There is just as much music throughout the park as there is on stage,” Holman noted. “There will be a lot of jam sessions throughout the park.”

Another time-honored tradition will be on display in the Headland Presbyterian Church.

“We will have our quilt show in the church building,” Holman said. “The quilts on display will be from our own collection. Some of these quilts date back to the 1800s and aren’t often on display.”

In keeping with the historical theme of the day, Holman says park visitors should enjoy the “Stroll Through History” that will be held on the boardwalk behind the Watson Cabin.

“This stroll will have a variety of events highlighted from several time periods,” Holman said.

All of the buildings will be in operation. A visit to Spring Farm Day, however, would not be complete without a stop in the Stokes Activity Barn.

“This year, we’re having a spotlight on FFA in the Stokes Activity Barn,” Holman said. “Throughout the day there will be exhibits, choral groups and bands in that facility. Included among the exhibits will be the tractor that was restored by the Eufaula FFA that won a national award.”

The Barnyard, the park’s playground, will be open for the children. Other activities for children will include pony and wagon rides, a visit with baby lambs and perhaps one very special event.

“We are hopeful that the chicks will hatch on Saturday,” Holman said. “We’ve been incubating them and hope it times out so that they hatch during Spring Farm Day.”

Border collies, another crowd pleaser, will be put to the test by their trainer, James Thomas. Demonstrations will be held throughout the day.

Arts and crafts vendors will have booths set up with plenty of items to be purchased. The Martin Drug Store will be open for visitors to purchase ice cream and other fountain items. Other vendors will have plenty food and beverages for purchase.

“We have a day filled with activities,” Holman said. “There really is something for everybody. It’s a great time of year to come out and enjoy the park and see what we have to offer.
“Spring Farm Day and other events like it are crucial to the operation of the park.”

Spring Farm Day will also mark the kick off of the park’s membership drive.

Admission to Spring Farm Day is $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, $4 for children, and free for children age 5 and under. Park members are also admitted free.

For more information about Spring Farm Day, contact Landmark Park at 334-794-3452 or visit http://www.landmarkpark.com.