Food and crafts vendors are needed for the 30th Annual Mule Day Southern Heritage Festival at Callaway Plantation Saturday, October 9, event.

“We need lots more food vendors. We’ve gotten applications for arts and crafts exhibitors and food vendors,” said Rachel Arnold of the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, “but we need more, especially food vendors. We know times are tough, so we’re trying to price our vendor spots so vendors can make good money.”

Vendors interested in participating are 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.

Vendors often see strong busi- ness at Mule Day, especially church groups selling food items. The annual festival has attracted thousands of people to see old-time mule power in use, along with demonstrations of primitive life and work, and arts and crafts for sale.

As in years past, primitive demonstrations will be a special part of Mule Day. “We’ll have a lot of old favorites like Hubert Bailey’s herding dogs, and new favorites like Betty Dyson’s woven pine-needle baskets,” Arnold said. “Ricky Callaway and his friends will bring their antique tractors and engines, and many of the old favorites will be back.”

Mule Day will open at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 9, and will run until 4 p.m., but organizers stress that the mule events start in the morning and are often over early in the afternoon.