A fall full of festivals, shopping starts with Saturday's Cruise-In
By KIP BURKE

Popular and well-attended events like the "I'd Rather be in Tignall" Festival fill the Wilkes County community from now until Christmas, which is just around the corner.

It's past Labor Day and folks in Washington-Wilkes are turning their eyes toward what's just ahead - a fall and winter full of festivals, Christmas shopping, tours, plays, and other events that pack our smalltown calendar tighter every year.

The first event is the Fall CruiseIn Saturday. Put on by local car club Memory Lane Cruisers, the twicea year cruise-in always fills The Square with cars, trucks, and motorcycles and the folks who love them. Cars start rumbling into The Square by 4 p.m. and by 6 the whole area is full of food, music, and beautiful shiny memory-makers.

Car folks enjoy the cars and the company at the Fall Cruise-In until well into the evening, and as always admission is free, with a $5 entry fee to display your vehicle.

Next, the Washington Little Theater will present six performances of "Steel Magnolias" starting September 29 and 30, and continuing October 6, 7, and 8.

The next big thing will be three things at the same time - the Mule Day Festival at Callaway Plantation on October 13 and 14, the annual Fly-In at Washington-Wilkes Airport (IIY) and the Rayle Ramble on Saturday October 14.

This year, to bring more visitors into Washington, shopping, restaurants, and lodging, Mule Day will start on Friday afternoon October 13 and go all day Saturday October 14.

"We've decided to make Friday free of charge, and Friday's more for local folks to come out and hear great local music, play old-fashioned games, and get first shot at the hand-crafted items and things the vendors have," said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Donna Hardy.

On Saturday, Mule Day events get into action by 9 a.m. with mule events and competitions under the direction of Dan Corbett and Ed Pope III. Mules are expected from all over the region, Pope said. "But we always have room for more mules."

Other Mule Day attractions include primitive crafters and demonstrations, arts and crafts vendors, food, games and races, sheepdog demonstrations, and more.

Chris Hughes, operator of the Washington-Wilkes Airport, is hoping for better weather this year so that dozens of aircraft will fly in on Saturday, October 13. He also hopes to offer airplane rides to youth provided by the Young Eagles organization.

At the same time, just up Highway 78 in Rayle, the Rayle Ramble will bring fun, food, music, and bingo for family and friends.

"That's a lot to do in one weekend - the Rayle Ramble, the Fly-In, and Mule Day - but be sure to leave time to shop and stay in Washington," said Tourism Director Ashley Turner.

And speaking of shopping, that's one fall activity that just keeps on growing. More and more, shoppers are coming from miles around to Christmas shop in downtown Washington, making a weekend of it by staying in one of Washington's unique bed and breakfast inns.

The Christmas shopping season will be in full swing in early November when another of Washington's big events fills the town. ArtFest 2006, a juried art show and exhibit downtown on November 4 and 5, will bring art and artists from all over the country and beyond. The Washington-Wilkes Arts Foundation's ArtFest is in its third year, and more information can be found at www.washington-wilkesarts foundation.org.

And if the ArtFest doesn't fill that weekend completely, take a drive out to Tignall for the "I'd Rather Be

in Tignall" Fall Festival. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently featured the Tignall festival in a roundup of "don't-miss" activities, and the size and scope of the festival seems to get better every year.

And shopping in Washington is officially an event each November as Candlelight Shopping Holiday Open House brings both local shoppers and folks from nearby on November 21.

As we get closer to Christmas, the Washington Little Theater will present "The Sanders Family Christmas" November 30, December 1, 2, and 3.

And that all leads up to the finale of the Christmas season, the Christmas Tour of Homes and Colonial Dinner December 8 and 9. Some of Washington's finest old homes will be warmly decorated and lit to bring the whole town a festive feel.

That same weekend, Christmas at Callaway and the Toombs House living history program will give visitors an authentic taste of holidays from days gone by.

"For a small town, there's so much to do, so many activities during the fall and winter, that visitors are just amazed," Donna Hardy said. "And we local folks enjoy it even more - we just love to celebrate, and any excuse will do."

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