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On a day full of sunshine, good
food, and entertainment, residents and visitors celebrated the
bounty of the season and the heritage of the Alderson area. On
Saturday, October 6, 2007, a variety of activities were held in
the Historic Business District of Alderson as a part of the Fall
Heritage Festival. Sponsored by Alderson Main Street, the
Festival seemed like a big town party with neighbors visiting up
and down Railroad Avenue. Chaired by Neta Roush and Judy
Lewallen with the able assistance of Tom Roush, all of the
set-ups went smoothly.
The Alderson Volunteer Fire
Department kicked off National Fire Prevention Week with
information about fire safety and “Fire Chief” hats for the
children. They were also selling 100th Anniversary
throws from their big birthday last year.
Several community groups including
the Alderson Women’s Club, the Alderson Community Center for the
Arts and Humanities, the Democratic Executive Committee, the
Monroe County Senior Center, the Alderson Bridge Trust Fund, and
the Greenbrier Historical Society provided information and sold
goodies and raffle tickets. The Alderson branch of City
National Bank had information, free popcorn, and a raffle.
The “Double B Stage Coach” gave
free rides through the Historic Business District to adults and
children. Bobby and Judy Hoover sold tasty hot dogs for
Alderson Main Street.
The Old Greenbrier Baptist Church
and Caravan Club offered sandwiches, full lunches, and apple pie
on a stick. The Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church had
chili, sour dough bread, and caramel covered apple slices.
Jill Highlander offered her
beautiful photos of flower, animal, and country scenes for
sale. Becky Bartlett had rag quilts and Kool-Aid purses.
Ronald Stroupe air brushed t-shirts and Melanie Austin offered
Premier Design Jewelry. Kadee Ratliff provided Beauty Control
products. Fonzie Fitzwater had distinctive bowls, lamps, and
candle sticks turned from a variety of woods including some from
the huge oak tree taken down this year on the grounds of the Old
Greenbrier Baptist Church. Charles Richmond soon sold out of
his honey.
Ruth Allen’s brightly colored
Apple Dumpling stand was a hit and the smell of those cinnamon
apples complemented the aroma of coffee coming from the stand of
Rick and Donna Simms. Regular, cappuccino, and espresso coffees
were all available along with fruit smoothies. Travis and
Elizabeth Copenhaver cooked tasty waffles, hamburgers, and
french fries.
Susie Gore’s House of Hair offered
tapestry purses and many decorative fall and winter items.
Frank and Barbara Tuckwiller of Watt’s Roost Winery provided
samples of their wines so that customers could choose their
favorites.
Entertainment was provided from
the Tom Housby Memorial Gazebo in Alderson Alumni Park and
included the Red River Drum Corps and the Country Classics
Band. The Red River Drum Corps, under the leadership of Larry
Two Rivers Brown, demonstrated a women’s traditional dance, a
men’s traditional dance, and a dance that portrayed the hunt
from locating and tracking the animal to honoring the animal for
giving its life for their nourishment. The Country Classic
Band, known for its traditional country and rock ‘n roll music,
was composed of Valerie Smith, Bobbie Smith, and Charlie
Mitchell. They entertained the crowd with their excellent sound
and made everyone happy by playing their requests.
Alderson Main Street staffed a
table where they sold a large print cookbook, “Love in a Loaf
Pan”, the “Porches of Alderson” poster, and “bricks” in memory
of teachers, friends and loved ones to be placed in the walkway
in Alumni Park. They also held a drawing for a gift basket from
Alderson Country Mercantile and a framed “Porches of Alderson”
poster. Jack Still of Alderson won the poster and Rada Morgan
of Gap Mills won the gift basket.
Mayor Luther Lewallen said, “I
really like the feel of this festival. People are visiting,
talking, and having a great time.” See Photos. |
