Smokies to host women’s work event

On Saturday, June 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the century-old buildings at the Mountain Farm Museum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will come alive as national park staff and volunteers pay tribute to rural women of the past through demonstrations of traditional women’s work. “Women’s Work” is a day of recognition of the many contributions of the region’s rural women in the past. As part of the celebration, demonstrations among the preserved buildings will include hearth cooking, soap making, hominy, cornshuck crafts, and other arts and crafts. In addition, exhibits of artifacts and historic photographs will also provide a glimpse into the many and varied roles of rural women. In 1953, the Mountain Farm Museum, previously known as the Pioneer Farmstead, was completed and opened to the public, creating a unique display of historic buildings and a living farm. The Mountain Farm Museum features a log home, barn, and several other outbuildings that were moved to the site from various locations in the Smoky Mountains. The farm includes a variety of livestock, from sheep to chickens, plus impressive row crops, such as corn and sorghum cane. The gardens and orchards are made up of heirloom varieties of apples, beans, tomatoes, squash, peppers and peas. The next event at the Mountain Farm Museum is the annual Mountain Life Festival on Saturday, September 18. The focus of this event is the making of sorghum molasses using traditional methods, but also features other demonstrations of traditional fall farm activities. All activities are free to the public. The Mountain Farm Museum is located on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Highway 441), 2 miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina.