Annual Living History Event to be Oct. 23 -25 at the Museum in New Albany
Mississippi Hills Folk Life & Pioneer Days at the Union County Heritage Museum this year features heritage crafters, hands-on activities for families and much more. The dates of the event are Oct. 23, 24, &25, 2025 This is an annual event that has been a part of the museum in New Albany for more than 20 years.
Thursday the living history event will begin at 9 and end at noon and this day is for special needs classes as well as others. Friday has school classes scheduled from 8:30 until 2, generally for second through fourth grades. Saturday is family day beginning at 9 and ending at 2.
Folk dancing at the 2024 Pioneer Days event.
Three days of fun celebrating the homesteading experience and rural heritage of our region will include live folk music, heritage crafters, educational and fun opportunities for visitors and a chance to make and take things, said Jill Smith, Museum Director.
Saturday will host the Tallahatchie Suzuki violin performers at 10. At 11 a.m. contests for youth in cross cut sawing, egg and spoon races, and many more. And at 12 noon there will be pumpkin carving and decorating stations which will follow with an exhibit of all of the pumpkin creations.
Broom maker Jack Martin will be one of this year’s heritage crafters. The Selmer, TN man is the third-generation broom maker from Hockaday Brooms. He will demonstrate and sell his handmade brooms. The Story of Hockaday Handmade Brooms began in the early 1860’s when Jack Martin’s Great-Great Grandfather Wick Hockaday moved the family from the Carolina’s to Tennessee and settled on a farm in Selmer, Tennessee in hopes of a better life
J.D. Jones shares his basketmaking art at Pioneer Days
We will have two basket makers this year with J.D. Jones, Tombigbee Pioneer heritage crafter from Baldwyn, who has work with the museum for more than 20 years teaching and demonstrating basket making. Basket maker Jamie VanOekel from Booneville will be demonstrating basket making. VanOekel said that she was influenced early by two grandmothers who were “hands on” sewing, quilting, gardening, cooking, etc. As a result, she has always had a curiosity about making, no matter the medium. She is currently a member of the Tidewater Basket Guild, Tennessee Basket Association, and the National Basketry Organization. She has taught in Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri
Other heritage crafters include Michael Megelsh, professor of history at Blue Mountain college. He is also a blacksmith and will be manning the museum’s blacksmith shop. Survival teacher Donald Watts will be demonstrating the basics of survival skills.
Jeanette Stone, textile artist from Potts Camp is multi talented with textiles. She will demonstrate spinning fibers. Peaceful Creek Farm will demonstrate making goat milk soap. Musical teaching artist and performer player Mark Maharrey will play the banjo, harmonica and more as well as talk about the folk music of Appalachia. Dulcimer players from local groups will be performing.
Museum volunteers will work in the country store, churning butter, in the garden and Dr. Pennebaker’s Office. The Union County Piece makers will demonstrate quilting Members of the William Faulkner Knitting Club will demonstrate other textile areas. Two River Traders will be back this year with their sutlery goods. There will be storytellers and yarn spinners.
“We have a great group of volunteers who help us with this event. We could not do this without them,” Smith said. The Museum Guild is always a great help with this as is Blue Mountain Christian University. Thanks to our great Community Partners, this is a free event.
For more information contact the museum at 662-538-0014 or uchm@ucheritagemuseum.com. The museum is located at 114 Cleveland St., New Albany, MS 38652. There is also information on the museum’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
This event is supported by grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts.
Jill N. Smith
Director
Union County Heritage Museum & Faulkner Garden
114 Cleveland St.
New Albany, MS 38652
662-538-0014
“The past is never dead. It isn’t even past.” William Faulkner, “Requieum for a Nun”
