The 29th Annual Mule Day Southern Heritage Festival at Callaway Plantation is alive and well, and the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce is hard at work planning for the Saturday, October 10, event. Mule Day will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Applications for arts and crafts exhibitors and food vendors have been distributed. However, anyone interested in participating who has not been contacted is encouraged either to call the Chamber at 706-678- 2013 or to stop by the office on The Square in downtown Washington to get an application.

Primitive demonstrations are a special part of Mule Day so, if anyone has a skill to demonstrate that represents things from the past, please also contact the Chamber. Demonstrators who do not sell a product may participate for free.

"So many things will be happening at Mule Day: children's activities, entertainment, crafts and food, a Confederate encampment thanks to the efforts of David Denard and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and of course the mule events. Most importantly, we need mule owners to bring their mules. We want children to be able to learn about plowing and see all the things mules are capable of doing," said Ashley Barnett, Tourism Director and Executive Director of the Washington-Wilkes Chamber.

When Dr. Turner Bryson started Mule Day in 1980, he had a vision for a period event focusing on the past represented by the Callaway homes on the Plantation that range from the log cabin built in 1785 to the brick house completed in 1869. His ideas are being implemented as much this year as possible, aiming to take the event back to the original by next year's 30th anniversary.

Stephanie Macchia of the Washington Wilkes Historical Foundation, and Debra Denard with the United Daughters of the Confederacy are seeing that all the buildings on the Plantation will be staffed with individuals dressed in period attire.

"This is the main fund-raiser for the Chamber that will allow us to keep the public aware of all that Washington and Wilkes County have to offer. That said, we also want to continue to make this event affordable for a family to be able to attend and still afford to eat and shop; therefore, the entry fee will be only $5 per vehicle, not a per person charge," Barnett explained.

The Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center is open Monday and Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to Barnett, Carol Cartledge and Rachel Arnold are staff members.