Sun breaks through and brings crowd as Mule Day and Fly-In happen anyway
By KIP BURKE news editor ,
Obstacle course champs Pat and Kate wait to compete in their event at the 25th annual Mule Day last Saturday.
Two days of rain last week threatened to turn the 25th annual Mule Day into a mass of mud, but the sun broke through Saturday morning and with it came a crowd of some 2,000 to celebrate old-time mule power, experience modern air power, and shop for hand-made crafts.
This all-day celebration of times gone by – with hand-made crafts, primitive craft demonstrations, and the rare chance to learn to plow behind the noble cotton mule – has always drawn thousands of visitors from surrounding counties, nearby states, and across the nation. Heavy rains Thursday and Friday kept the crowd small this year, but sunny weather Saturday helped make the day something of a success anyway for the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce.
Actual paid attendance was counted this year for the first time at 1,251, and hundreds of volunteers, exhibitors, and vendors brought the total to nearly 2,000.
With good weather Saturday, more than 40 kids ages 8 to 17 took to the air at the Annual Fly-In at the Washington-Wilkes Municipal Airport, said Chris Hughes, the airport’s operator. Under the EAA “Young Eagles” program, kids lined up to go flying in a private airplane, piloted by Keith Donker of Evans, who volunteered the use of his Cessna 172 to take kids on their first airplane ride ever. A dozen other aircraft came in for the Fly-In, and shuttles linked the Fly-in to Mule Day activities.
Rains Friday cancelled the first production of the only outdoor Civil War drama in Georgia, “Postmarked Wilkes County,” but Saturday evening’s performance was fairly well attended, following the oldfashioned “pig pickin’” traditional Southern dinner catered by Watchmakers restaurant.
Mules showed in several categories and John Mobley of Union Point judged the mule events with Ellen Day announcing the events in the ring. Mobley also gave a mule seminar demonstrating how mules were geared up for plowing and hauling.
The Grand Champion Single Draft Mule was “Kate,” shown by David Ayers of Homer, Ga. The Grand Champion Pair Draft Mules were shown by Ronnie Wiley of Auburn, Ga.. Among cotton mules, the Grand Champion Halter mule was shown by Preston Hollimon of Dearing, Ga.; and Early Tankersley of Thomson took the prize for Single Mule to a Wagon with his mule “Boom.” The Obstacle Course champs were Pat and Kate, shown by Ronnie Wiley.
The lawns of the plantation were filled with hand crafters and primitive crafters displaying their works and demonstrating their old-time skills. Shingle maker Billy Walker always drew a crowd making shingles with his 105-year-old machine.
Local musicians including Debbie McLeod, Alyssa Stewart, Robin Booker, Brittany Klaus, Brittany Ray, Karen Saggus, Katie and Dixie Lee Trimm, Carly Brown, and the Virtuous Women of Praise entertained all day with hometown music of every style. The Washington Little Theater performed a play, “If Men Played Cards Like Women” and sheepherder Hubert Bailey again demonstrated herding with dogs for an appreciative crowd.
And apparently the Mule Day crowd didn’t stay out at Callaway Plantation all day. Downtown Washington merchants had offered Mule Day visitors discounts to come shop, and many merchants said that Saturday turned into a very good day for early Christmas shopping.
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