Summer Is Not Over Yet!
Despite the cooler temperatures we’ve been having, there are still several weeks of summer left! And along with them come a host of fun events in Chatham County.
I think attending one (or all!) of these events is a great way to get to know the area, whether you’re thinking of moving here, you’ve just moved here, or even if you’ve been here for a while. Enjoy the Chatham County community, food, beer and good times. September is packed with events, and you’ll have something to do nearly every weekend.
Old Fashioned Farmers’ Day
This weekend, head to the Ruritan Arena in Siler City for a chance to marvel at how things were done in agriculture. You’ll definitely appreciate all the advances that have been made through the years as you see many skills and technologies that have been almost forgotten. Some examples include:
- A Blacksmith and Wheelwright Shop reconstructed from and abandoned Deep River Coal Company site in Chatham County.
- A Steam-Powered Engine in the Pugh Memorial Ice Cream Building, where each of the several churns can each turn out five gallons of home-made ice cream at a time!
- An antique car display, antique farm machinery (some in operation), corn shredding, a shingle mill, hit-and-miss engines, and a rock crushing machine.
Steam cream, antique farm displays in operation, music and southern food will also be yours to enjoy at Silk Hope Farm Heritage Park’s Old-Fashioned Farmers’ Day.
- Date: August 29 – September 1
- More information: Click here.
Sky Watching
Enjoy the night sky at Jordan Lake State Park by attending a monthly sky watching session. Hosted by staff from the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill, these sessions are free, open to the public, and weather permitting (so always confirm first). Take an informal tour of the constellations with a MPSC educator; telescopic views of beautiful objects, including planets, nebulae, star clusters and, of course, the Moon when available, and discuss constellation myths and legends.
- Dates:
- Sat, Sep 6, 8 pm – 10 pm. International Observe the Moon Night
- Sat, Sep 27, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
- Sat, Nov 1, 7 pm – 9 pm
- Sat, Dec 13, 8 pm – 10 pm
- More information: Click here.
Brewery Tour
If you’re a fan of local brewing, come see how it all gets started at Farm Boy Farms in Pittsboro. You’ll get an up-close look at the hop fields, just before the second harvest, and you’ll learn all about Farm Boy’s local grains and the malting process. And, of course, the tour will make time to find some great beer to drink!
- Date: September 10, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
- More information: Click here.
Farm to Fork Meal
Celebrity Dairy in Siler City hosts a Farm to Fork dinner on the third Sunday afternoon of each month. Feel free to bring your own wine or beer to enjoy with the meal, which will include delicious local food, guest chefs on occasion, and a variety of tasty goat cheese, all in an incredible atmosphere. The dinner menu includes sparkling white grape juice, award-winning goat cheese, and seasonal appetizers.
The next meal, “Celebrating North Carolina Fish,” will also include Crepes with herbed goat cheese filling, Best market fish en papier, Marinated citrus-onion on mesclun greens topped with toasted pine nuts, Lemon-pecan filled coconut cake, and more. I could give you more details, but I think the menu alone does the event justice. Yum!
- Date: Sep 21, 1:30 pm
- More information: Click here.
If you’re interested in exploring the Chatham County area, you should definitely head to one of these events. You’ll get to know the down-to-earth locals, enjoy some delicious food and beer, and show off your newly-acquired astronomy knowledge to your friends.
Photo courtesy of Morehead Planetarium; Credit Brian Owen.