Rocky Mount State Historic Area will host Woolly Days & Garden Arts Festival this weekend
Published 4:14 pm Tuesday, April 5, 2022
- Rocky Mount will host its annual Woolly Days & Garden Arts Festival the weekend of April 9 and 10. Woolly Days features hand-shearing of the sheep and wool processing techniques of the 18th century. It is a great opportunity for children to get a close look at the sheep and even pet the sheep.
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Rocky Mount State Historic Site will host its annual Woolly Days and Garden Arts Festival on Saturday, April 9, through Sunday, April 10. The festival will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Festivities will end at 5 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday.
“Woolly Days” features hand-shearing of Rocky Mount’s flock of Cotswold sheep, wool processing techniques of the 18th century, and other spring activities on a frontier farm. The “Garden Arts Festival” will be a celebration of all things gardening — from plants to handmade items for the home, garden and gardener, to delicious foods and informative talks and tours.
Woolly Days is an opportunity for visitors to experience the spring activities of the early settlers of Tennessee. This is a great opportunity for children of all ages to get a close look, and even pet the sheep, feel their wool and learn how it would be made into clothing. Visitors can wash the freshly-sheared wool, use wool cards to straighten the fibers, and see how it is spun into yarn and woven into cloth.
Other sights and activities include baby lambs, historical re-enactors, local vendors and shops, blacksmith forging, sheep wool processing, a historical church service, and children’s activities. Rocky Mount will host tours of the historic homestead and museum during the event. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds, or stop by one of the food trucks set up on the property.
The weekend event provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about a place that predates America as we know it and dates back to the Revolutionary War. Rocky Mount is the site of the first capital of the Southwest Territory (1790-1792), and springtime is a great time to visit.
Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $8 for children under the age of five. Children under the age of five are admitted free. Rocky Mount Historical Association members receive free admission to this event. Parking and access to all Woolly Days & Garden Arts Festival activities are included in the admission price. On our website, you can also get a discount on a two-day weekend pass. Buy tickets now at www.rockymountmuseum.com.
Rocky Mount is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Rocky Mount Historical Association operates the site under a contract with the Tennessee Historical Commission.
The Rocky Mount State Historic Site is located at 200 Hyder Hill Road in Piney Flats, just off Highway 11-E, midway between Johnson City and Piney Flats.