It’s festival time again at the historic Malcolm Blue Farm in Aberdeen. This is not a regular festival, it’s a traditional crafts and farmskills festival that depicts life in the 1800′s and has become known as one of the finest intergenerational events in North Carolina. It pays tribute to the farm heritage and Scottish culture of the Sandhills. The festival is sponsored by the Malcolm Blue Historical Society, whose goal is to educate by creating a farm atmosphere for visitors. Volunteers and crafts and skills people wear country style clothing.

The Malcolm Blue Farm is located at 1177 Bethesda Road in Aberdeen.  Look for signs on Hwy. 5 South. Call (91) 944-7558 for directions. The farm is located within site of Old Bethesda Church (1862) and the early Scottish cemetery which dates back to the 1700′s. The farm complex includes a 1825 farmhouse furnished with period furniture, a tobacco pack house, a stable, corn crib, pig pen, a working grist and hammer mill, a windmill, an outhouse, and a 2 story museum that was established in 1986. In the nearby meadow, guests will see border collies herding sheep. Civil War renenactors have set up camp and are awaiting visitors in the far meadow.

The 42nd Crafts and Farmskills Festival opens Friday, Sept. 23 (school children’s day) and runs through September 25th. Hours of operation are Friday 8:30am until 6 p.m.;  Saturday 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday Noon until 5 p.m. The cost is $3 for children, adults $5, and pre-schoolers are free as are active duty military families.

Additional activities include watching corn being ground into cornmeal at the gristmill, visiting the animals in the stable and pig pen, watching the blacksmith forging with red hot metal, and watching a steam engine which produces power to run a shingle mill making roofing for homes. Additional activities for the children include stilt walking, children’s folk games and corn shuck doll making which is a favorite for young folks.

Watch traditional crafters demonstrate pine needle basket making, spinning, weaving, quilting, potting, tatting, tobacco tieing, woodworking, and caning. A three-day music program is planned at the main stage. Come, bring children, parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors for a day on old Mr. Blue’s Farm.