Pioneer Crafts Festival To Be Held Saturday

RISON - The Pioneer Crafts Festival is set for this weekend with the annual Beans & Greens Supper starting at 5 p.m. Friday, April 10, and the festival itself kicking off at 9 a.m. Saturday. Admission is free.Pioneer Village President Marty Bowlin joined the latest epsiode of the Free Range Conversations podcast to highlight the festival alongside hosts Britt Talent and Douglas Boultinghouse. The episode is streaming now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ClevelandCountyHerald.com The Beans & Greens Supper will feature a meal of ham, beans, greens, cornbread, dessert and tea, lemonade or water. The cost is $10 with proceeds supporting the Pioneer Village. To-go plates are available.Those dining in will be entertained by the Hwy. 15 Fire Department Pickers and Grinners, a group of local musicians who gather regularly at the fire station in southern Jefferson County to play music.Some of the vendors selling handmade items during the festival are expected to be set up on Friday to be open during the Beans & Greens Supper.Saturday’s Pioneer Crafts Festival will include more than 20 vendors offering a variety of handmade items. The historic structures that make up the Village will be open for touring and there will be ongoing demonstrations of blacksmithing, hide tanning and more going on throughout the day.At 10:30 a.m., the Cleveland County Historical Society will offer a free genealogy workshop inside the McMurtrey House for those interested in learning how to trace their family history.At 1:30 p.m. there will be a special ceremony between the Mercantile and McMurtrey House dedicating a “Liberty Tree” that has been planted at the Pioneer Village in honor of Cleveland County native and American music legend Johnny Cash, who donated the proceeds from his 1976 Bicentennial concert at Rison to help establish the Pioneer Village.Country music singer Laura Caroline will be performing before and du...