Lots of new adventures are happening at the second Annual Uwharrie Mountain Festival.
“This year, the event features a Pro Lumberjack Series event, the Spook Island Paddle Quest, raku pottery making, Point Taken Disc Golf, and a Tree ID Challenge,” said Chairman David Zmiewsky.
Visitors will enjoy returning activities like gold panning, archaeology, the 4.5-mile Badin Trail Run/Walk, Kids ‘Round the Point 1-miler, horseback riding, orienteering, vendors with lots of good food, arts, craft and the newest in off-road vehicles.
The cycling event taking off from Eldorado Outpost at 8:30 a.m. has increased from 50 to 100 miles. The Central Park NC Century wanders along the region’s scenic roads along the edge of the Sandhills and north into Randolph County as far as Pisgah Covered Bridge.
The Spook Island Paddle Quest, set to take off at 10 a.m., will send kayakers, 16 years and older out on Badin Lake to follow a map to destinations unknown, but eventually to Spook Island.
Point Taken Disc Golf is a great family activity. Nine holes are set up around King’s Mountain Point. Players get great shoreline views of Badin Lake and a chance to see wildlife like great blue herons that just might squawk loudly when players disturb their fishing.
The Uwharrie Mountain Festival was created to celebrate and showcase all that’s unique and wonderful about this ancient mountain range and its people.
“This is such a special place,” Zmiewsky said. “We have the Uwharrie National Forest and so many ways to enjoy it. This area has a fascinating heritage.”
Fred T. Morgan, noted author of many Uwharrie ghostly tomes, will be introducing his newest book, “Uwharrie Bizarres,” at the Festival. It’s all about the real-life characters he met as he researched the region’s legends and lore. Morgan will be talking with folks and signing books at Eldorado Outpost throughout the day.
Activities and vendors have increased by about 30 percent from last year’s festival.
“We’re thrilled at the response this year,” Zmiewsky said. “A lot of folks came to us wanting to be part of this great event.”
One of the new events, raku pottery firing, is being presented by Montgomery Community College’s pottery program.
A half dozen pottery students will be on hand to demonstrate the ancient art of raku, a style of pottery developed in Japan in the early 1500s. The students will demonstrate firing their decorative creations in a raku kiln that reaches temperatures of 1,800 degrees. The students will bring a portable kiln with them to the forest. The pieces are cured in the kiln for about 30 minutes, removed using long tongs and immediately placed in a reduction chamber, which can take many forms, like a metal trash can or stockpot. The chamber is pre-filled with combustible material, such as newspaper or pine needles, that catches fire when the hot pieces are placed into it.
Festival hours this Saturday are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“If you hang around long enough, chances are you’ll see a beautiful, brilliant sunset on Badin Lake,” Zmiewsky added. “Following the lumberjack competion, we’ll wind down, sit around the bonfire and listen to some bluegrass with Blue Horizon.”
Parking near King’s Mountain Point is very limited. Free parking is available at Eldorado Outpost where shuttles buses will run constantly in and out of the forest throughout the day.
For more information, visit the web site at www.uwharriemountainfestival.com.
