Fall brings big events, festivals to Washington-Wilkes
By KIP BURKE news editor

Mule Day, with Hubert Bailey's popular herding dogs, is now just one of three big events in Washington-Wilkes set for this fall.

Fall is just around the corner, and time is approaching for a series of fall events that keep Washington- Wilkes hopping through the season. Starting with the Mule Day Heritage Festival, events this fall also include an all-new Market Days Street Festival, and the bigger-than-ever fourth annual ARTFEST.

On Saturday, October 13, now for the 27th year, visitors can step back in time to the days of mule plowing and other old-fashioned skills at the Annual Mule Day at Callaway Plantation.

This year's Mule Day events will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and for the first time admission will only be $5 a carload, rather than $5 a person.

"We really want local folks to come out," said Tourism Director Ashley Barnett, "so we're lowering the price of admission to just $5 a carload. Mule Day will be bigger, with more activities and fun things to do this year, and we want local folks to come back out."

To draw more people to shop in Washington, she said, participating Washington merchants are offering a 10 percent discount for those with a Mule Day wristband.

Children can participate in plowing with a mule and enjoy a petting zoo, a kiddy train, and special games.

For adults, there will be arts and crafts vendors, numerous food ven- dors, a horseshoe tournament, and more.

Mule owners will be bringing their best mules to demonstrate plowing and other mule drawn equipment early on Saturday. Anyone with draft mules or cotton mules is invited to come to Mule Day and participate in the contests, mulemeister Ed Pope III said. Visitors may even get to try their hand at plowing behind a mule.

Visitors can tour several buildings on the plantation, including the 1869 Greek Revival brick house, the 1790 two-story Federal Plainstyle house, and the 1785 one-room rough-hewn log cabin.

For more information, call the W-W Chamber of Commerce at 706-678-2013.

Just two weeks after Mule Day, the all-new Market Days Street Festival is expected to bring some 80 vendors to downtown Washington for an all-day festival October 27.

Sponsored by the Washington Farmers Market, the Downtown Development Agency, and Washington First, organizer Bradley Barber says, the first Market Days Street Festival is designed to increase the daily foot traffic in the city, and will bring vendors of food, local produce, antiques, art glass, jewelry, pottery, and others.

The festival will be advertised and marketed heavily in Athens and Augusta, Barber said, and a large crowd is expected.

Some fivemusical acts are being lined up for all-day music, and there will be an "Off-the-Square Dance."

In keeping with the late-October theme, the festival will feature pumpkin painting and a build-yourown scarecrow and other hands-on activities, Barber said. For children, there will be activities like gourd bowling, and a large sidewalk art space for chalk drawings.

The festival is working in conjunction with the Washington Historical Museum and the Robert Toombs House which are staging "The Tales from the Toombs" and "Mysteries of the Museum Haunted Tour" the same day. Ghosts have long been rumored to haunt the old homes and grounds, museum curator Stephanie Macchia said, and for the first time, the truth of behind-the-scenes hauntings will be revealed.

The following weekend, all day Saturday, November 3, the Washington Wilkes Arts Foundation will present its fourth annual Fall ARTFEST, and organizer Louis Riccuiti says this festival will be bigger than ever. "It's really growing. We've already got more artists signed up already than we had last year, and there's still time for artists to join us," he said.

The ARTFEST market is a juried exhibition with prizes up to $1,000 awarded to each qualified artist. The first prize winner will be awarded $1,000; second prize, $500; and third prize, $250.

This year, kids will be able to do art projects of their own at art stations in the Livery Stable under the guidance of Polly Fievet. "From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., we'll have art projects that kids can work on," she said. "We encourage children to come out and explore their artistic side at ARTFEST."

The foundation's web site, www. washington-wilkes-arts-foundation. org, has more information, an online application, and detailed artists' guidelines. Artists from school age and up from Georgia and beyond are invited to apply. For more information or to receive an artist's application, contact Ricciuti at Washingtonarts.3@gmail.com or by leaving a message at 706-678- 5511.

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