The 5th annual Homesteading Festival, in partnership with the Steve White Volkswagen Camp Out and Show, will be held in Mineral Spring Park on September 9th from 8 – 4. Admission, classes, children’s activities, and entertainment are free at this family-friendly event. The park will be closed to traffic during the event.
Demonstrations include chair caning, weaving, felting and beading. Adult classes include mushroom growing with Tradd Cotter from Mushroom Mountain; plant walk and identification with Robin McGee from Earthwise Learning Center; How to Grow a Garden in 5-gallon Buckets with Vanessa Grace from Sow True Seed; Crystals for everyday life with
Donna Cox of Sage Grinders; and Kudzu, Weed or Wonder with Tillman Stevens of Thunder Grove. The kudzu class will include kudzu tea and kudzu chip tastings. Children’s activities include beading with Farm Girl Trinkets and rock painting, coloring, and games with Williamston Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Bob Buckingham and Jack Ellenburg will lead bluegrass jams in the park. Attendees of all skill and experience levels are encouraged to bring (non-electric) instruments and join in.
Vendor products include crafts; jewelry; olive oil; honey; dog treats; bird houses; wool yarn; plants and seeds; books; t-shirts; art; ducks, quail, and rabbits; handmade soaps, salves, and personal care products. Local farmers will be on hand with locally grown, raised, and produced food products.
Friends Farm and Catering and BBQ Pitmasters will offer both breakfast and lunch items. Also joining the festival will be Coastal Crust Brick Oven Pizza, Grandma’s Ice Cream, Hey Bo/Sassy Sow BBQ, and The Lazy Farmer food truck. The Lazy Farmer will be cooking pork rinds and funnel cakes, in addition to sandwiches and fries.
The festival is sponsored by Earthskills LLC, Earthwise Learning Center, the Town of Williamston, the SC Organization for Organic Living (SCOOL), and the Palmetto Farmers Market. The Blood Connection’s mobile unit will be on hand from 10 – 2, taking donations. For more information, visit www.scorganicliving.com.
