Halifax Days goes on despite rain storms

After rain has affected the Halifax Harvest Days Festivals for three out of its first five years of existence, Halifax County Extension Director Dr. Zoann Parker feels like the event’s name could almost be switched. 

“I’ve been telling everyone we should change the name to the Droughtbusters Festival,” she said with a smile Saturday.

Crowds still turned out to enjoy the festivities at the Halifax County 4-H Center, though the numbers were most likely diminished due to rains that went on for three consecutive days leading up to the event, forcing Parker to cancel the highlight of the two day’s activities, a teenage rodeo.

“After it didn’t rain for 11 Saturdays, it rained this week, and turned our beautiful rodeo ring into a molasses soup and we care about the kids, so we just couldn’t do it,” Parker said.

That wasn’t the only effect the rain had on the festival, though, as Parker explained that the facility size was collapsed into one-half of the area it was to occupy, so that all the activities would stay on high, hopefully drier, ground. “The food vendors and craft vendors were great, and they all moved to one side like we asked,” Parker said.

Still, those events and activities that did take place made for an interesting and entertaining time for the entire family with music, food, and educational demonstrations that gave people a glimpse into the past.

The Avett Brothers returned to the area for the second consecutive year to bring their musical act Saturday afternoon and the N.C. Music Connection closed the show Saturday evening with a performance.

There were also two impressive reenactments of World War II battles. The cannons and gunshots rang out throughout the hillside, scaring Allison Brown, whose grandparents live in Roanoke Rapids, forcing her to wrap her arms around her father and press her head into his shoulder.

Afterwards, though, she wasn’t afraid anymore. “That was really cool, but it was a little bit loud,” she said.

Afterwards, the mock soldiers milled about the crowds, still in full battle regalia, explaining the intricacies of the reenactment and the weapons to curious spectators.

Jim Turner and his wife Sherry, from outside of Martinsville, Va., supplied the pony rides. “We like it up here. The crowds are great, though its not one of the bigger festivals, it’s real nice,” he said tilting his cowboy hat back off his forehead while his wife tried to talk 10-year-old Malik Smith, of Weldon, into taking a ride.

“The most fun I had was touching the ponies,” Smith said while standing by a pony. His mother explained that this was their first stop of the day, and he said he also wanted to play in the trailer full of cotton blossoms that was parked at the site.

Just 50 feet away three ladies from the Lake Gaston area were resting their legs after they’d been demonstrating how corn was picked and shucked and how people used to wash their clothes.

“I’ve been wearing my arms out all day washing those clothes,” said Barbara Biser of Littleton.

Ruth Simpson and Beth Elser both sat with her. “We’ve been on our feet all day,” Simpson added with a sigh, then a giggle. She explained that they’d also been shopping at some of the craft displays and she bought potpourri.

James Long of the Roanoke River Antique Engine and Tractor Club explained that he enjoys putting on the demonstrations that his club has put on for over 15 years because it gives him a chance to share his knowledge with other people.  The club set up an antique sawmill, and demonstrated how logs were made into boards in the old days, then they demonstrated how peanuts were picked, and how peanut vines were bailed.

“It just gives us a chance to participate in a county function, help the county out, and also to show people how things used to work,” Long said.