Golden hues and flourishes of red span the horizon as autumn leaves drift in the crisp air. To celebrate the fall season, the Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site welcomes you to the first annual Rakin’ in the Fun Festival Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for a cross cultural celebration. Admission will be $2 for ages 5 and up. Ages 4 and under are free.
Throughout the day, pumpkins will fly across the sky, launched by the Aycock Site trebuchet.
An interactive kid’s zone will feature fun for all ages. Try your arm at pumpkin rolling, test your skills in the egg toss or conquer the inflatable obstacle course and slide. A variety of 19th century toys and costumes will also be available for children. No fall festival would be complete without hayrides, provided by the Eastern Carolina Vintage Farm Equipment Club.
The past comes alive during living history demonstrations which include open hearth cooking, apple pressing, corn shucking and woodworking.
In honor of National American Indian Heritage Month, intertribal cultural presentations will be offered from noon-2 pm. Sponsored by Grandpa’s Children, Inc. and the Arts Council of Wayne County, audiences will enjoy a traditional ceremony including Grand Entry, Smudging, Blessing, a Veterans’ Dance, dancers and drummers. The procession will be led by Tuscarora Indian Tribal Chief Cecil Hunt, Tuscarora Cultural Chief Elisha Locklear, and Haliwa-Saponi member Dreamweaver.
From the main stage, audiences will be delighted by musical performances by the Waterbound Dulcimers from 10 a.m. to noon and the Harmony Boys from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Promoting traditional Mexican culture through dance, Ballet Folklorico de Colores will perform folkloric dances such as La Bamba, Las Altenitas, Los Viejitos, and Las Alazanas and much more.
Hungry visitors will find Everette’s Food Truck selling Bright Leaf hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh cut cheese fires and funnel cakes.
Need a memento of your good time at the festival? Local artists will sell a variety of handcrafted items including hand carved wooden bowls, acrylic paintings, American Indian dreamcatchers and spirit bags.
Event sponsors include PNC Bank, the Arts Council of Wayne County, the Arts Council of North Carolina and the Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Advisory Committee.
Found off the beaten path two miles south of Fremont, the Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace Historic Site features a mid-19th century farmstead that includes a house, kitchen and outbuildings. Period pieces furnish the house and an 1893 one room schoolhouse moved to the site represents the grassroots statewide educational revival led by Gov. Aycock after his election in 1900.
For additional information, please call (919) 242-5581 or email aycock@ncdcr.gov.
The site is located at 264 Governor Aycock Road, Fremont, N.C. To reach the site, please take U.S. 117 north nine miles from Goldsboro or U.S. 117 south 14 miles from Wilson. Turn right from Goldsboro, or left from Wilson, onto Gov. Aycock Road. The historic site is 1.5 miles on the right. From I-95, take the U.S. 301 exit at Kenly, then take highway 222 east for 10 miles to Fremont and turn right onto U.S. 117. Travel two miles and turn left onto Gov. Aycock Road.
Gov. Charles B. Aycock Birthplace is part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.