Fall festival at Tipton-Haynes celebrates making of sorghum

By Staff Reports

Visitors will have the opportunity to observe sorghum cane being processed into molasses using a mule-powered mill at the annual Sorghum & Scutching Festival Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Tipton- Haynes State Historic Site in Johnson City from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This is a free event and open to the public. Visitors who want to help strip cane and participate in the process are welcome. Visitors can watch as flax straw is broken on a flax brake; the outer layer removed using a scutching board and knife. Then the flax is pulled through a hackle to produce long fibers that can be spun into linen thread.

There will also be a number of autumn activities to enjoy, including apple cider making, open hearth cooking, basketry, carding and spinning wool, and other historic-based crafts. The staff on site encourage adults and children to sit down and participate in any of the crafts.

For a dollar each, adults and children can make a corn husk doll decorated with seasonal calico to take home.

Attendees can sit and enjoy good old-time country music. Markham Brown, a singer and songwriter, along with his friends will entertain throughout the day. The Half-Runners will play from 11 a.m. to noon.

Jackie Peters and Dawn Trivette Peters will be selling and signing copies of their new book, Carter County, that has just recently been released by Arcadia Publishing.

For a small fee, homemade soup beans, hoe cakes, dessert and drinks will be served.

Admission to this event is free, and the public is encouraged to come and learn more about the heritage of the area. For more information, call 926-3631.

Tipton-Haynes is located in south Johnson City. Take Exit 24 off Interstate 26 and follow the signs to 2620 S. Roan St., Johnson City.