Fall into fun at UT's Fall Folklore Jamboree with music, food, crafts

Bluegrass and gospel musicians play on a log cabin stage for Fall Folklore Jamboree guests. The all-day music and folk art event takes place Saturday, October 15, at the UT AgResearch and Education Center at Milan. Photo by G. Rowsey, courtesy UTIA.

This October an exciting and affordable family outing awaits as the University of Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center at Milan hosts the 18th annual Fall Folklore Jamboree. The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 15, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Fall Folklore Jamboree boasts more than 100 folk artists who bring history to life. Watch them demonstrate more than 30 old-fashioned skills like quilting, weaving, broom making, blacksmithing — even plowing with a team of mules. Plus, you can tour the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum, which tells the story of rural life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

If you attend the festival for the history, be sure to stay for the great food, live music and marketplace. Visitors can indulge their taste buds with a wide selection of savory foods including grilled tenderloin sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs and old-fashioned kettle corn. Bluegrass, gospel and string bands will play all day on an outdoor stage. Jamboree goers can also shop quality handmade goods created by folk artists. Find items for the home, like pottery, candles, soaps and brooms, or pick up a unique gift for a friend, like beaded jewelry or a handmade turkey call. A favorite take-home souvenir for repeat guests is a bag of freshly ground corn meal, prepared in front of you in an old-fashioned gristmill.

Kids will love riding in a horse-drawn wagon, inspecting antique equipment, picking cotton and even milking a goat. Our “crazy corn” trough is a favorite among younger children. If you need a break, catch a ride on the AgResearch Center Overview Tour. Sit back and learn more about the agricultural research taking place at the facility, while riding on a tractor-pulled wagon.

The Fall Folklore Jamboree begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 3-12. Park at the Milan High School, and buses will escort you to the admission booth. There is no charge to park.

The UT AgResearch and Education Center and West Tennessee Agricultural Museum are located on Highway 70/79 in Milan. For more detailed directions or other information call 731-686-8067, visit the website milan.tennessee.edu.

Published October 7, 2016