As the Weather Warms the Atlanta History Center Sheep Hang Up Their Winter Coats
ATLANTA, GA – Join us for the annual family program Sheep to Shawl, where guests experience the process of cloth making through demonstrations and activities ranging from sheep shearing and dying to spinning and weaving. Gather the entire family for a full day of fun that includes open hearth cooking, blacksmithing, candle making, museum theatre performances, live music, and much more at Smith Family Farm.
WHAT: Sheep to Shawl, annual family program
WHEN: Saturday, April 11, 2015
10:30 am to 4:30 pm
WHERE: Atlanta History Center; 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA
INFORMATION: 404.814.4000; AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Family
ADMISSION: Admission is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. Purchase advance admission tickets online and save at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Family.
SUPPORT: Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of Fulton County Arts Council. Additional support provided by Macy’s and the Poppy Garden Club.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
Smith Family Farm Activities
Shearing Demonstrations
11:00 am, Noon, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm
The annual shearing of the sheep’s wool marks the coming of spring. Our newest arrivals to the Smith Family Farm, the angora goats, join the festivities for the first time for additional shearing demonstrations. This traditional activity on our working 1860s Smith Family Farm invites visitors to watch as the sheep and angora goats shed their winter coats.
Cindy Musselwhite and Friends
12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm
Born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in North Georgia, Cindy grew and developed as a musician and performer playing alongside her three siblings as a member of veteran bluegrass group, The Hoyles. Cindy and her four children toured Europe, performing in nine countries, winning the audience popularity award for the European World of Bluegrass and eliciting the prestigious cover of European Bluegrass Magazine. After returning to the states, they released their first CD, Handing Down Tradition.
Storytelling, Mama Koku
11:30 am, 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm
Enjoy hearing Southern folktales and learning about the history behind them.
Southern Foodway Traditions
10:30 am, 11:15 pm, 12:45 pm, 1:30 pm
From Africa to the New World, learn how the enslaved community shaped Southern food traditions that we love today.
Spirituals & Stories
2:30 pm and 3:45 pm
Hear stories and songs that provided an outlet for expressions of religious faith as well as resistance within the enslaved community.
Little Red Barn Petting Zoo
Ongoing
Be sure to stop by the petting zoo, complete with a variety of friendly barnyard animals!
Additional Smith Family Farm Ongoing Activities:
- Wool Washing
- Natural Dyeing
- Carding and Spinning
- Weaving
- Candle Dipping
- Open Hearth Cooking
- Blacksmithing
- Woodworking
- Basket Weaving
Mabel Dorn Reeder Amphitheater:
“Clay: Palm to Earth”
10:45 am, 12:15 pm, 1:45 pm
Special Meet the Past theatre performances of “Clay: Palm to Earth,” the story of Dave Drake, brings history to life. Born enslaved in 1801, Drake – traditionally known as Dave the Potter – was taught to turn large clay pots and learned to read and write, often signing much of his pottery and inscribing them with poems, revealing his literacy at a time in history when it was illegal for a slave to read and write. This performance explores the notion of literacy as a form of resistance, and its impact on the shaping of one’s identify. After the performance, step inside the museum to admire the work of Dave the Potter on display in the Atlanta History Center's Southern folk arts exhibition, Shaping Traditions.
Food for Sale:
Coca-Cola Café – serving a limited Chick-fil-A menu
Available Noon – 2:00 pm
Happy Belly Food Truck
Available 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Flatbread Bistro Food Truck
Available 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Honeysuckle Gelato
Available 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
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