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Friday, Oct. 16, 2009

Crafters among highlights at Mossy Creek

With “temperatures in the 40s, clouds touching the tops of the pine trees, and winds gusting at 20-25 mph,” John McDevitt faced the first Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival in 1980.

The dulcimer handcrafter had been promised a tent to protect his instruments, but when one wasn’t available, festival organizers offered him a two-room farmhouse they had brought in and set up on the grounds.

“Every time it started to drizzle, that building was filled with people,” McDevitt said. “I set up chairs, invited them to sit and taught the people to play the dulcimer.”

Thirty years later, he’s still teaching festival-goers the instrument he began making in 1964. “The dulcimer is one of the easiest string instruments to learn to play,” he said. “I keep a sign on my booth that says, ‘Give me 10 minutes and I’ll teach you two songs.’ ”

McDevitt, 72, of Havana, Fla., added that the instrument is so easy to learn because without chords to learn, there are no accidents that can be made and no sour notes that can be hit, so “people who don’t know how to play or kids who haven’t played before can play by the hour and not make any noises that bother people.”

And while it is entertaining to him to watch kids as they recognize songs such as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” that he plays, it is most fun for McDevitt to teach older adults.

“They’re convinced they can’t play anything and then discover they can just pick one up and play,” he said.

The dulcimers that McDevitt brings are just one of the early American crafts featured at Mossy Creek. Demonstrations include soap making, lace tatting, painting, metalsmithing and wood carving, among many others, and it’s important for the vendors to demonstrate their craft as well as selling it.

“We have exhibitors from 19 states and five countries,” organizer Carolyn Chester said. “It’s getting to be a challenge, looking for the old and the new, but we always limit the number to 150 because we don’t want the items to overlap.”

Entertainment will be provided by cloggers, musicians and storytellers, and food vendors from local community groups will be on hand selling goodies such as corn roasted in the shucks and barbecued turkey legs. Hay rides and assisted horseback rides will also be available.

“We definitely see some of the same people coming back. People come from all over and the minute they get there are instant friends with all the exhibitors,” Chester said.

Saturday-Sunday

What: Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Where: 315M Lake Joy Road, Perry

Phone: (478) 922-8265

On the Web: www.mossycreekfestival.com

Cost: $5, $1 kids