Community Corner
Sheep-to-Shawl Day at Tullie Smith Farm
You can escape to the mid-1800s when visiting this farm on the Buckhead campus of the Atlanta History Center as you witness the transformation of fresh wool to yarn this Saturday.
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Springtime is shearing time for the sheep who live on the Tullie Smith Farm at the Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road near the Governor's Mansion in Buckhead. The annual "Sheep to Shawl" event will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
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Six blooming gardens and trails on 33 acres surround the Atlanta History Center museum, the 1860s Smith Family Farm and Swan House. Various activities help guests experience antebellum homesteading while learning about shearing sheep’s wool.
Sheep shearing demonstrations will be held at the Smith Family Farm barnyard. Children will receive a handful of wool as a keepsake. Then they and adults can be involved in entertaining hands-on activities and demonstrations as the wool is washed, sorted, carded, spun, dyed and woven into a shawl.
Costumed living history interpreters will present authentic demonstrations of blacksmithing, sweet grass basket weaving, candle dipping, woodworking and open hearth cooking. Southern folktales will be spun, and children can participate in egg races.
For more 19th-century entertainment, there will be performances from local Southern musicians in the Mable Dorn Reeder Amphitheatre. Inside the museum, Southern folk arts may be explored in the permanent exhibition, "Shaping Traditions." At the Garden Overlook, the traditional sounds of the InTown DownHome band will be presented.
At 11 a.m. or 1 p.m., the Waldorf School’s faculty production of the puppet show, “Dawn Strider,” will use handmade wool puppets at McElreath Hall. After the performance, visitors will be given the opportunity to craft their own wool puppets.
"Sheep to Shawl" is sponsored by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council. The event is supported by the Poppy Garden Club, Macy's and the Waldorf School of Atlanta.
This special program is included with the price of general Atlanta History Center admission at $16.50 for adults. Parking is free.
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Annual membership fees offer the most value, for example, at $65 for two adults in the same household plus up to four children 18 and younger. Members also have access to the Atlanta History Center's Margaret Mitchell House in downtown Atlanta, where the famous author wrote Gone with the Wind in her basement apartment on Peachtree Street. For information, call 404-814-4000.
