News Release
For Immediate Release — August 26, 2009
Celebrate Tradition at 11th Annual Fall Folklore Jamboree
MILAN, Tenn. – Old-fashioned fun will soon return to the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and University of Tennessee Research and Education Center at Milan. The 11th annual Fall Folklore Jamboree is scheduled for Saturday, October 17.
The Annual Fall Folklore Jamboree at the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and UT Research and Education Center in Milan features bluegrass music, live demonstrations and more than 130 folk artists sharing remarkable skills and crafts. This year's event is Saturday, Oct. 17. Photo by G. Trice.
Each year this event draws visitors from across the mid-south who are eager to celebrate past traditions while escaping the daily grind. With authentic bluegrass music in the air, along with the smells of favorite old-fashioned foods, and more than 130 friendly folk artists sharing remarkable skills and crafts, leaving it all behind is easy to do.
“Fall Folklore is a great place to relax and enjoy a Saturday with family,” says Dr. Blake Brown, director of the UT Research and Education Center at Milan. “It’s also a very educational event. Fall Folklore provides an excellent opportunity for children and adults to learn about the heritage of our ancestors and the historical significance of agriculture in West Tennessee.”
The Jamboree is held at the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum, which houses a vast collection of agricultural artifacts that tell the history of rural development in Tennessee. During the Jamboree, visitors are free to tour the museum to learn more about the agrarian lifestyle of the past. Outside the museum, craftsmen will demonstrate traditional 19th century skills like blacksmithing, wood carving, knitting and weaving. Visitors can see horse plowing and logging, watch a working grist mill in action, and ride in a horse drawn wagon. If you’re an animal lover, there will be plenty of farm animals on site.
A favorite activity for many Fall Folklore attendees is tapping their feet in time with traditional gospel and bluegrass music. With a long lineup of award winning bands, music lovers are sure to find something they can hum along to.
The Fall Folklore Jamboree runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $4.00 for adults, $2.00 for children ages 3-12, and free for children age 2 and under.
The West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and Research and Education Center grounds are located on Highway 70/79 in Milan. For more information, including an event map, visit the web site: http://milan.tennessee.edu or call 731-686-8067 or 731-686-7362.
The Research and Education Center at Milan is one of 10 outdoor laboratories operated by UT AgResearch, a division of the UT Institute of Agriculture. In addition to its agricultural research programs, the UT Institute of Agriculture also provides instruction, research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.
###
Contacts:
Debra Campbell, Research & Education Center at Milan, 731-686-7362, tennu@bellsouth.net
Ginger Trice, UTIA Marketing and Communications Services, 731-425-4768, gtrice@tennessee.edu
###
Flyer and photo gallery
