The Star Herald
FRENCH CAMP —
There are several signs of fall – Leaves turning gold, red, yellow and orange, temperatures dropping and the French Camp Harvest Festival.
Every year, for more than 60 years, French Camp, has hosted Harvest Festival and the Grand Auction on the second Saturday of October and this year is no different. Activities begin on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
As attendees approach the Cain-Patterson Gymnasium where activities kick off, the smell of food cooking on the grill and voices of eager shoppers greets you.
Folks stop to visit while shopping for homemade items in the country store: bread, jams, and preserves, sugar cane, and handcrafted items.
The auction bidding is fast and furious as one after another joins the fun. All proceeds go to the organizations represented in the French Camp Community Club.
At noon, everyone takes a break for the fabulous dinner-on-the-grounds. A line forms as harvest festival-goers stand in one of the lines and to receive a hearty meal.
There is plenty to go around, supplied by French Camp Academy, club members and guests.
Donation for the meal can be found in one of the boxes on the tables.
Activities in the Natchez Trace Historic District are in full swing with shuttles provided for a short ride from the gym.
Places to shop and tour include: the Log Cabin Gift Shop and Double Blessings Thrift Shop, and the restored cabins, homes and museum.
Families watch as delighted children perch atop horses for rides,
Musicians playing, craft demonstrators working, and old-fashioned sorghum syrup making.
The Council House Café is serving up box lunches for those who missed the dinner-on-the-grounds.
Harvest Festival has grown from a local event to a gathering time for friends and families from across the United States and beyond.
Call (662) 547-6482 or visit the website www.frenchcamp.org for more information on the French Camp Harvest Festival.
