FestiFall at Walnut Grove Plantation – October 1-3, 2010
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Relive the American Revolution at Walnut Grove Plantation’s Annual FestiFall Reenactment Held the First Weekend in October
Roebuck, SC, September 13, 2010 — Hear the muskets fire! Feel the cannon roar! See the American Revolution come to life during FestiFall at Walnut Grove Plantation! Late in the War for Independence, William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham, a Loyalist militia captain and deserter of the American cause, attacked Walnut Grove Plantation, killed three Patriot soldiers, and sparked a skirmish with local militia. At FestiFall, experience a re-enactment of this raid on Walnut Grove by Captain Cunningham and his desperate band of Tories. Witness the brave heroine, Kate Barry, warning her husband Andrew and his Patriot troops of the attack. Although her valiant actions can’t save Captain Steadman and his friends, they do save the Moore family home from being burned by its attackers. Relive the saga of our struggle for independence and be transported back to colonial days!
This special weekend kicks off on Friday, October 1 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at “FestiFall Friday Night: A Colonial Celebration.” This family-friendly evening features music, great food, and an opportunity to share your table with a Revolutionary War soldier, who may tell you of the latest progress in America’s struggle for independence from Great Britain. Perhaps you’ll sit with a cooper or gunsmith who might share a few secrets of the trade. We’ll have hands-on children’s activities as well. It’s an evening not to be missed and perfect for the whole family! Cost is $25 for ages 18+, $15 for ages 12-17, and $10 for ages 5-11 while children 4 years and younger are free. Space is limited and reservations are required by September 21. Please send your name, contact info, number of people in your party, and a check payable to Spartanburg County Historical Association to PO Box 887, Spartanburg, SC 29304. You may also drop by the Spartanburg Regional History Museum in the Chapman Cultural Center at 200 East St. John Street in downtown Spartanburg to make your reservation. At the Regional History Museum, you can pay with check, Visa, or Mastercard.
FestiFall continues on Saturday, October 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday, October 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Each day will feature a re-enactment of the skirmish between Cunningham’s Loyalists and Barry’s Patriots. This reenactment occurs at Noon on Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Throughout the two-day living history festival, over 100 reenactors will camp at Walnut Grove and demonstrate 18th-century battle tactics, weapons firing, cavalry tactics and military drills as well as dozens of colonial era crafts and trades. You can see the blacksmith working at his forge and a cooper making barrels as well as broom making, basket making, soap making, cooking, gunsmithing, woodworking and much more. Kids can dip their own candles, try their hand at weaving, and play colonial games. Free parking is available on site. Purchase lunch from a selection of favorites made with local ingredients provided by the Converse Deli! Admission is $9 for adults, $5 for ages 6-17, and free for ages 5 and under.
FestiFall is sponsored by John & Nora Beth Featherston, John & Kirsten Cribb, Nancy Rainey Crowley, Southeastern Printing, and a Spartanburg County Accommodations Tax Grant. These Community Partners are providing support as well: Converse Deli, Spartanburg Day School, and USC Upstate.
Walnut Grove is located at 1200 Otts Shoals Road, Roebuck, SC. To get to FestiFall,
From I-26: Take Exit 28 and turn onto Highway 221N towards Spartanburg; go a few hundred feet and turn right onto Stillhouse Road (between Waffle House and Shell). At the end of Stillhouse Road, turn right onto Otts Shoals Road. The plantation is about .2 mile on the right. Altogether, it is about 2 miles from the interstate exit.
From Spartanburg: Take Church Street toward Woodruff for approximately nine miles. Just before the intersection of I-26 and Highway 221, turn left onto Stillhouse Road (between Shell and Waffle House). At the end of Stillhouse Road, turn right onto Otts Shoals Road. The plantation is about .2 mile on the right.
Brown & white directional signs and event banners will help direct you to the plantation.
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Charles and Mary Moore established Walnut Grove Plantation after receiving a 550-acre grant of land in the South Carolina Backcountry, the colony’s tough western frontier. The Scots-Irish Moores raised ten children in the house they built about 1765 and lived in for the next 40 years. Revolutionary War heroine Kate Moore Barry, who served as a scout for Gen. Daniel Morgan prior to the Battle of Cowpens, numbered among those ten sons and daughters. In late 1781, Loyalist William Cunningham, called “Bloody Bill” by the Patriots, killed three Patriot soldiers at the plantation and sparked a small skirmish with local militia, which is reenacted each year in early October.
Tours of the restored historic buildings and special events, including FestiFall which occurs each October, on the plantation grounds offer visitors a glimpse into the daily lives of the free and enslaved people who settled the Backcountry, fought for independence, and shaped a new nation.
Walnut Grove Plantation is operated by the Spartanburg County Historical Association, which explores and preserves our region’s history by collecting and sharing the stories and artifacts of the people who shaped that history. In addition to Walnut Grove, the Historical Association operates the Spartanburg Regional History Museum, the Seay House, and Historic Price House. SCHA activities and events are supported in part by The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg and its donors, the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives funding from The National Endowment for the Arts, the City and County of Spartanburg, and by corporate and individual partners.
For additional information, phone 864-576-6546 or email walnutgrove@spartanburghistory.org. You can also visit our website at www.spartanburghistory.org, see photos from our special events on Flickr at flickr.com/spartanburghistory, and even “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/spartanburghistory.
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