Historic Effingham Society will hold its annual Olde Effingham Day Festival on Saturday April 21, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Effingham Museum at 1002 North Pine Street in Springfield and the Living History Site will feature live demonstrations, old tractors, old cars, animals at the barn, blacksmiths, old farm equipment, old engines and a sawmill and much more.
The Living History Site is composed of 12 buildings from 1790 to 1950. Farmstead out buildings include a smokehouse, barn with animal lot, chicken house, equipment and implement shed, syrup shed and blacksmith shop. The original Blandford Rail Depot, replica of Bethel School and early Rincon Post Office are our latest additions.
Food and drinks will be available from Historic Effingham featuring our signature “Hash and Rice.” A bake sale with homemade goodies is sponsored by the HES.
Our vendors will offer a variety of items including food, crafts and Vidalia onions on first day of sale.
Demonstrations of old crafts include basket weaving and Indian arrowhead making and of course the moonshine still. Farm tools of the past will be on display.
Civil War re-enactors will have a camp set up and offer hourly drills with live cannon fire.
Special old time activities for children including corn shelling and grits grinding will be featured during the day.
A doll show, quilt show and an art show will be featured in the Gnann and Derrick Houses on the grounds throughout the day.
The museum features military items, Indian artifacts, a research library, old jail cells, a medical display, fashions, old kitchens and much more. The museum shop will be selling our books, series of historical Christmas ornaments, calendars and other items.
Entertainment is scheduled throughout the day. From 12 noon until 2 p.m. Neal Austin of Statesboro will be on stage. He is a popular artist at many festivals and clubs. Tommy Hall, a regular at the festival and his band will be performing, too throughout the day.
With no admission fee and plenty of free parking on the adjacent courthouse square and Laurel Street you will find plenty to do and eat. There is something for one and all. Come see what life was like in days gone by. If you would like to volunteer, purchase a vendor space or for more information call the museum office at 912-754-2170.
This was written by Susan Exley from Historic Effingham Society. If you have photos or historical information to share contact her at 912-754-6681 or email hesheraldexley@aol.com