The beginning of the fall season not only heralds the arrival of cooler weather but also an annual Carrollton tradition.
The Carrollton Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival will be held Friday and next Saturday. The event will feature a variety of activities that the whole family will enjoy.
“We’re looking forward to a good turnout,” said Carrollton Mayor Pam Lee, who serves as chair of the Carrollton Pilgrimage Board and the Carroll Society for the Preservation of Antiquities. “We’ve had a lot of interest from people in coming to see the music and coming to see the homes. We’ve got more homes this year than we usually do, and I think it’s going to be a really great time.”
The Pilgrimage is hosted by the Carroll County Development Association’s Pilgrimage Board, and the Pioneer Day Festival is hosted by the Carroll Society for the Preservation of Antiquities.
One of the biggest draws for this year’s event will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. when a Mississippi historical marker will be unveiled recognizing local musicians Mack Allen Smith and the Flames. The unveiling will be held in front of the Carrollton Courthouse.
“We’re looking forward to recognizing Mack Allen Smith and the Flames Saturday morning,” said Lee.
The marker will be installed in front of the Community House before Mack Allen Smith and the Flames perform later that day at 6:30 p.m.
“If they are interested in music, they want to hear Mack Allen Smith,” said Lee. “A lot of people who grew up here grew up with Mack Allen and went to dances at the Community House where he played. They want to come back and hear” Mack Allen Smith and the Flames perform.
The two-day event begins Friday with the Pilgrimage home tours. The homes will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days.
The Pilgrimage tour will highlight architecture common from the 1840s to the early 20th century. Those attending the tour will also have a chance to visit with the owners of the historic homes.
The Oaks is one of several historical houses that will be featured on the Pilgrimage’s tour of homes.
Included in this year’s home tours will be Stanhope, The Captain Ray House, Shades Rest, The Doll House, The Oaks, Lum Reek and Cotesworth.
Historical churches constructed during the 19th century that will be included on the tour are Carrollton Baptist Church and Grace Episcopal Church.
Other historic places of interest will include the Merrill Museum, built in 1834; Carrollton Masonic Lodge, built in 1899 and the second oldest lodge in Mississippi; Gee’s Store, an early 1900s mercantile store; the courthouse, built in 1877 and recently updated; and People’s Bank and Trust, which will be open in the mornings only.
The Pioneer Day Festival will be held next Saturday, and admission is free.
The festival begins at 9 a.m. around the courthouse square and will feature about 50 arts and crafts and food vendors.
There will be several jewelry booths, including Mother and Daughter Pearls. “You pick out your oyster, and they open it while you watch. They clean it, and then turn it into jewelry for you,” said Lee.
There will also be pottery, woodworking, hair bows and honey vendors, among many others.
Children’s activities will include a petting zoo, pony rides, bounce houses and a slide, and the Army National Guard will bring a gaming trailer for video games.
Some of the food vendors will include Small Time Hot Dogs, D&P Concessions and Guy’s Catfish.
Music on the Square will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be emceed by Benny Rigby.
“We’ve got some good musicians who are going to be playing Saturday morning,” said Lee.
The first performance will be by the Slaton Family. After the unveiling of the historical marker, the Cobbins Brothers will perform at 10:45 a.m. The Como Sisters will perform at 11:45 a.m., and the Bear Marsh Missionary Baptist Choir will follow at 12:45 p.m.
Music on the Square is free but donations and tips are appreciated. Those attending are encouraged to bring chairs and sit a while to enjoy the music.
There will be a car show around Carrollton United Methodist Church. Anyone with an antique or classic car or truck is invited to bring it for the show.
Educational booths will include the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation, the Mississippi Red Cross and a display of about eight different old pioneer wagons.
The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation will also raffle off a guitar.
Lee said what’s different about the Carrollton Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival compared to other events is the amount of educational activities that accompany the two days of activities.
“We have a lesson plan about J.Z. George and Cotesworth; we have a lesson plan about Carrollton and the different architectural styles,” she said. “The last several years, we’ve had speakers, thanks to the Mississippi Humanities Council, who go to the schools and talk about things related or similar to what’s going on in town for the Pilgrimage.”
At 1 p.m., there will be a dedication of the Michael H. Ball VFW Post at the courthouse. Michael H. Ball was the only Carroll County serviceman killed in the Vietnam War. The service will be hosted by the local VFW Post, which is named for Ball. Brig. Gen. Robert “Doug” Ferguson will be the speaker.
The Mississippi State Department of Health will also be on site to administer COVID-19 vaccines for anyone who wants one.
The Antiquities Society will be selling limited-edition Christmas ornaments featuring the Cotesworth library at its booth.
The Antiquities Society will be selling limited-edition Christmas ornaments featuring the Cotesworth library at its booth.
Saturday afternoon during the Pilgrimage, the J.Z. George archery team will be set up in front of Cotesworth and will do archery demonstrations at 2 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. After each demonstration, anyone can try it for a fee. The person with the highest score from each demonstration will get a prize.
“I think Carrollton is a special place, and this showcases the things that make us special,” said Lee about the upcoming event. “You’ve got homeowners who are willing to open up their homes and share the history of the homes. You’ve got people who are willing to work in different capacities — it takes 75 to 100 volunteers for these two days.”
Lee said not only the community of Carrollton but also surrounding communities enjoy the event and look forward to it every year.
She said, “I have people who call and say, ‘Where can I work this year?’
“I cannot thank the volunteers enough for what they do. We meet just about every month all year long. Then there are all the volunteers who come in at the end to actually work the event, and without such a wonderful volunteer force, this event would not happen.”
The Cherokee Rose Garden Club has been busy in preparation for the event. The members have been putting up decorations around town and by the Carrollton signs on U.S. 82.
“We appreciate their help, and we appreciate the businesses that are already decorating and the homeowners who are decorating as well,” said Lee.
Pilgrimage tickets will be sold at Carrollton Town Hall from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Adult tickets are $25, and tickets for children and youth are $10.
For vendor information, call Cathy Whitfield at 662-392-6194.
For more information or for a vendor application, go to visitCarrolltonMS.com.
- Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7235 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
COMING UP
What: The annual Carrollton Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival
When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1-2
Where: Carrollton
Details: Tickets will be sold at Carrollton Town Hall. For more information, go to VisitCarrolltonMs.com.
