Robbins Farners Day, 2010

PAGE 2 THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010

For All YourLegal Matters

Law OfficesMatthew Rothbeind

Attorney At Law P.C.

Member of the AmericanImmigration Lawyers Association

Sé Habla Español

105 South McNeil StreetP.O. Box 656

Carthage, NC 28327910-947-6806

Fax: 910-947-6832Accepted

The annual Robbins Farmers Day issponsored by the Robbins Fire Department,the town of Robbins and the Robbins FarmersDay Parade Committee. Last year, more than30,000 people attended the popular event.

Did YouKnow?FARMERS DAY FAN

GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot

Thomas Lethco, of Eagle Springs, uses a fan to keep cool whileawaiting the 2009 Robbins Farmers Day parade.

BY JOHN CHAPPELLStaff Writer

Farmers Day in Robbins ishitting the limit this year.It’s No. 55 in the uppercounty festival’s long line

of summer adventure days. Asever, horses andmules will drawevery sort of wheeled wagonfromConestoga to buckboardthrough the streets of oldMechanics Hill — Elise—Hemp— and nowRobbins.Opening blast will be the soundof gospel music from the railsidestage down by The Old EliseDepot at half past six onThursday, Aug. 5, starting off withMoore County groupHammer-N-Song. Theywill be followed by

Keith Plott, fromMyrtle Beach, at7:20 p.m. TheWebbs, fromHighPoint, wind things up at this firstnight of the three-day event.Farmers Day remembers howrural families came to town onSaturdays to stock up on “storebought” necessities— and tooktime to visit with each other andenjoy downtown life in oldRobbins. That weekend day cameto be called Farmers Day, and justover half a century ago, the town’svolunteer fire department startedcelebrating it with a festival thatgrew— and grew— and grew.Thousands crowd the “L of adowntown” where several stages

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010 THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. PAGE 3

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On theCoverThe Robbins Farmers Dayparade attracts a widevariety of participants.

About ThisIssue

The Pilot publishes theRobbins Farmers Dayspecial section annually.

For advertising information,contact Johnsie Tipton at

(910) 693-2515.

CCoovveerr DDeessiiggnnKathryn Galloway,Graphic Designer

CCoovveerr PPhhoottooggrraapphhssGlenn M. Sides

SSuupppplleemmeenntt DDeessiiggnn//LLaayyoouuttMartha J. Henderson,

Design Editor

CCoonnttrriibbuuttiinngg WWrriitteerrssJohn Chappell,

Jack Dodson, Tom Embrey,Martha J. Henderson,Hannah Sharpe andEmma Witman

CCoonnttrriibbuuttiinngg PPhhoottooggrraapphheerrssGlenn M. Sides,

Hannah Sharpe andJohnsie Tipson

145 W. Pennsylvania Ave.Southern Pines, NC 28387

(910) 692-7271thepilot.com

Copyright 2010

Annual RobbinsFarmers DayCelebrates History

see FARMERS, page 4


Farmers Day Parade wagonmaster Odell Hussey waves to the crowd.

show off local and visiting bands,soloists, quartets, cloggers andother entertainers. Friday’s enter-tainment fills all three stages withmusic with bluegrass and countrysounds, ending in lots of big bangsand bright lights in the sky withthe 10:15 p.m. fireworks display.A highlight of Farmers Day

every year is the big parade onSaturday. The procession headsuptown at 11 that morning, withtrophies in nearly a score ofcategories. There’s one for thebest dressed girl, boy, woman orman; one for the best pony; andthe best country horse riders,male and female.The best work horse will take

home a trophy. So will the bestmule, the best team ofmules andthe best team of little mules.Horses are not left out. There’s

a trophy for the best team of hors-es and another for the best teamof little horses. The best paradehorse gets a trophy. So does thebest saddle horse, and so do thebest rig and the oddest rig. Not tobe left out, the best donkey alsogets one.At 4 p.m. on

Saturday, moretrophies go to win-ners in the parade oftractors, awarded bymaker from Fordsand JohnDeeres tolawn tractors.There are stages

by Fidelity Bank(across the streetfrom the oldRobbins VillageTheater, soon to berestored by a newlyformed nonprofit foundation) andin themiddle ofMiddleton Street.There’s another by the post officeacross from the railroad stage,where the official welcome cere-mony and singing of the nationalanthem takes place at half-pastnoon. That’s where parade tro-phies are to be handed out to win-ners with help fromMissMooreCounty Charity Haskins andwag-onmaster Odell Hussey.In the afternoon, the lumberjack

competition is followed by themule show and lawn tractor pull.Antique tractors and farm equip-ment will be on display all dayfrom 9 in themorning until 4 p.m.,ending with a parade of tractorsat 4 p.m.

That night, Albemarle’sMountain CreekHarmonywill befollowed by the Sons of Thunder,from up in Clemmons, and finallybyMichael Combs, fromTodd,N.C.Over on the Fidelity Bank stage,

Moore County’s own Sand Band—with Terri Gore—will hold forthfrom 8 p.m. tomidnight. That

same slot on the PostOffice stage will fea-ture Outshyne, fromGreenville, S.C., andthen Robbins’ ownJohnny and TheCadillacs.Besides the grand

parade and all themusic, visitors can rideamechanical bull andlearn from guitarmakers and gunsmithsas they watch thesecraftsmen at work,

besides all the usual carnival ridesthat are set up each year forFarmers Day.Except for games and rides,

there is no charge of any kind forFarmers Day.This year’s 55th annual event is

dedicated to thememory of thelate Steven “Big Boy” Sheffield,an avid longtime supporter ofFarmers Day.“Riders, come join his friends

and family in the Farmers Dayparade as we remember him andhowmuch he enjoyed this annualevent,” says the Farmers Daycommittee.

Contact John Chappell [email protected].


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FarmersFrom Page 3

PHOTOS BY GLENN M. SIDES/The Pilot

Festival-goers of all ages wait for last year’s Robbins Farmers Day parade to begin. Below, a youngster rides in the parade.


Thursday, August 5The Railroad Stage

6:30 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. Hammer-N-Song, Moore County, N.C.

7:20 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. Keith Plott, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

8:20 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Webbs, High Point, N.C.

Friday, August 67 p.m. Third Annual Fire Fighter Challenge

10:15 p.m. Hale Artificier Fireworks

The Railroad Stage6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Passin’ Thru Bluegrass Band

7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The 19th Annual Pottery AuctionAuctioneer: Ted Beane

9 p.m. to Midnight Outshyne, Greenville, S.C.

Middleton Street7:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Quicksilver Cloggers, Robbins, N.C.

Southern Express Cloggers, Albemarle, N.C.

The Fidelity Bank Stage8 p.m. to Midnight Davis Tucker Bluegrass Band,

Lexington, N.C.

The Post Office Stage8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastwood Hawk, Moore County, N.C.

Carnival Rides and MidwayFriday 6 p.m. until Midnight

Saturday 9 a.m. until Midnight

Saturday, August 7Middleton Street

11 a.m. Farmers Day Parade

4 p.m. Parade of Tractors

7 p.m. Dipsol Rock Band, Moore County, N.C.

The Fidelity Bank Stage12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Rockin’ Horse, Asheboro, N.C.

8 p.m. to Midnight The Sand Band and Terri Gore,Pinehurst, N.C.

Special Entertainment12:30 p.m. Lumberjack Competition

South Atlantic Woodsmen’s Association

12:30 p.m. Special Forces Association Parachute Team

12:45 p.m. Mule Show –10 Classes, Carolina Mule Association

6 p.m. Lawn Mower Pull, Orange County Pullers

Antique Tractor and Farm Equipment Show9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tractors and Antique Farm Equipment

Display and Demonstrations

The Railroad Stage12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Outshyne, Greenville, S.C.

12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Welcome, Prayer and National Anthem

Recognition Miss Moore County 2010 Charity HaskinsWagonmaster Odell Hussey

Presentation Parade Trophies

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Currie Clayton, Burlington, N.C.

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tractor Parade Trophy Presentation

6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mountain Creek Harmony,Albemarle, N.C.

Sons of Thunder, Clemmons, N.C.Michael Combs, Todd, N.C.

The Post Office Stage8 p.m. to Midnight Outshyne, Greenville, S.C.

Johnny and The Cadillacs, Robbins, N.C.

55TH ANNUAL ROBBINS FARMERS DAYSCHEDULE OF EVENTS

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY• Train Rides on Main Street • Various Arts and Crafts• Horse Tack • Food Booths• Pony Rides • Pottery Turning• Rock Climbing Wall

SATURDAY• Mechanical Bull • Kiddie Rides• Demonstrations by Guitar Makers, Metal Engravers, Gunsmiths

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ROBBINS, NORTH CAROLINA

THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAYAugust 5th-7th, 2010

BY MARTHA J. HENDERSONDesign Editor

Strains of good ol’ Southerngospel music will fill the airThursday evening as the 55thannual Robbins Farmers Daygets under way as some of thegenre’s best take the stage.Performances by Hammer-N-Song, Keith Plott and The Webbswill set the tone for the first-rateentertainment offered through-out the three-day, fun-filledevent.Up first on the Railroad Stagewill be Moore County’s ownHammer-N-Song. A good blendof gospel and bluegrass, thisgroup of seasoned performers isguaranteed to lift your spirit.They will perform from 6:30 to7:10 p.m.Hammer-N-Song was previous-ly a bluegrass band calledJohnson Ford who performedeight years ago at RobbinsFarmers Day. But five yearsago, they decided to performonly gospel music.“God gave me the talent,” saysMike Garner, a member ofHammer-N-Song, who said hewanted to use his talent for him.He and band mate RaceyManess have been playing

together for more than 30 years,since they were in sixth grade.

Keith PlottFrom 7:20 to 8:10 p.m., fans ofSouthern gospel music will enjoythe performance of soloist KeithPlott.A native of Kannapolis, Plott iswell-known for his wide vocalrange and smooth style. He alsois known for his warm personali-ty and his undeniable heart forGod.Before undertaking a solocareer, Plott sang bass forgroups such as Brian Free andAssurance, Danny Funderburkand Mercy’s Way, and SafeHarbor.Plott has received multipleSouthern Gospel Music Fanfareawards, as well as a SouthernGospel Music Association DoveAward.He received the ArkansasTraveler from the governor andthe Kentucky Colonel Award. Hehas performed at both the GrandOle Opry and the NationalQuartet Convention.He also has had four No. 1songs on radioactiveairplay.com.


Evening of GospelMusic Kicks OffFarmers Day

see GOSPEL, page 8

CONTRIBUTED

A group of seasoned performers, Robbins’ own Hammer-N-Song will bring its blend of gospel andbluegrass to the Farmers Day entertainment stage on Thursday, August 5.

His first No. 1 — the song “IHear My Father Calling Me,”written by Aaron Wilburn — wasoff his self-titled CD. Threesongs from his latest CD, “ThereIs One,” made their debut at theNo. 1 spot in twodifferent styles. Thesongs “That’s theTruth” and “Lord ItHurts” went to theNo. 1 spot forSouthern Gospel,and the title song“There Is One” hitNo. 1 on CountryGospel. All threesongs were writtenby Greg Day.Plott lists his men-

tors as GeorgeYounce, Tim Riley,Kenny Hinson and Jimmy Jonesof The Harmonizing Four.When he’s not on the road trav-

eling and singing to audiences,Plott lives in Conway, S.C., withhis wife, Bobbi, and their twochildren, Adam and Elizabeth.For more information about

Keith Plott and his music, visithis website at www.keithplott.com.

The WebbsThe final group of the evening,

The Webbs, will perform from8:20 to 9 p.m.Based out of Colfax, Va., The

Webbs include Rick and PhyllisWebb with their daughter,Hannah, and oldest son, Parker.Rick and Phyllis Webb got

their start in professional musicin 1978, as part of the interna-tionally acclaimed vocal groupReGeneration.Under the direction of vocal

orchestrator Derric Johnson,ReGeneration traveled 100,000miles, reaching more than a mil-lion lives in more than 500 liveperformances each year.The group was showcased

annually at Disney World. In1983, the singers became TheVoices of Liberty, the host groupfor Epcot Center’s AmericanPavilion. During this time, Richand longtime friend Kevin Miles

began the male duoministry of Milesand Webb.As Miles and

Webb, they traveledthroughout theUnited States andCanada, accompa-nying some of theleading pastors andministries of today.In addition to per-

forming as Milesand Webb, Richbegan singing more

than 100 dates a year withPhyllis. They have shared theplatform with outstanding speak-ers and pastors throughout theUnited States.In addition to their concert

schedule, Rick and Phyllis partic-ipated in the Radio Bible Class-

sponsored TVmusic ministry,Day of Discovery, for 10 years;the Wesleyan Hour internationalradio ministry sponsored by theWesleyan Church for 20 years;and numerous guest appearanceswith pastors such as Dr. CharlesStanley, Dr. Charles Colson, Dr.David Jeremiah, Dr. MacBrunson, Dr. D. James Kennedyand more.The Webbs’ music ministry has

grown with the addition of theirchildren, Hannah and Parker.Through Song Garden Music

Group, The Webbs have releaseda recording, “Faithful.” Producedby David Staton and Gus Gaches,“Faithful” includes 10 heart-stir-ring songs of hope, faith, heavenand commitment.The Webbs have been honored

by The Southern Gospel MusicAwards and were nominated tothe Top 10 list of groups inSouthern gospel music by theSouthern Gospel Music Awardsin the best mixed group catego-ry.Check out more information on

The Webbs online at www.rick-webbtrio.com.

Contact Martha J. Hendersonat [email protected].


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GospelFrom Page 7

CONTRIBUTED

The Webbs, Rick, Phyllis, Hannah and Parker, will bring their musicministry to Robbins Farmers Day Thursday night.

Keith Plott

BY JACK DODSONNewsroom Intern

For Jeff Hale, owner ofLexington-based fireworkscompany Hale Artificier, puttingon the Robbins Farmers Dayfireworks show takes a lot moretime than the 15 minutes it’sactually happening.The explosive event takesmore than a day to produce,Hale says, including hours ofwork after the last shell has litup the sky.“It’s a lot more work behindthe scenes than people realize,”Hale says. “For a small show likeRobbins even, we’re talking aday and a half of work.”Hale’s company has put on thefireworks display at FarmersDay for almost a decade. For theevent, which is set for 10:15 p.m.Friday, August 6, Hale makessure to get to the site early — forsafety reasons, but also to enjoythe festivities.“I would say I’ve been doingRobbins now for a long time —six or seven years, maybe,” hesays. “We’ve had a good timedown there. I do expect to eat acouple good hamburgers fromthe street vendors. We just kindof hang out and enjoy the day,and then it’s down to business.”Hale, who has been workingfor pyrotechnics companies for26 years, started his business in1997 after working for a fewnational companies.“I felt there was a need for alocal company,” he says.For him, one of the major con-cerns is the materials used in theshow. Hale says his set-up is tra-ditional, using tubes and racks tokeep the shells in, with mortarplugs attached.“We pre-load every shell,” hesays. “If we have 1,000 fire-works, then we have 1,000 shellswith 1,000 mortar plugs in thebottom of them.”He says the process for put-ting the show together is long,but it’s not without creative ele-ments. All the shells that go offare hand-picked and -placed byHale, but creativity isn’t easy insmaller shows.

“Most of the smaller hometownshows like Robbins aren’t a largedisplay, so we just try to shootoff what we can to make it inter-esting,” he saysSo Hale plans out ahead of timehow the show will look, how andwhen certain shells will go off.He decides what kind of equip-ment to bring, and howmanypeople to have accompany himon the job.“There’s a lot of planning thatgoes into it — it’s not just show-ing up in a truck and shooting offfireworks,” he says.The process begins with check-ing out the site where the fire-works will go off, making sure itmeets all the safety require-ments. It needs to meet firecodes, Hale says, in order to beapproved.“We need to make sure wemeet that criteria — there are noextraneous materials, no over-head obstructions,” Hale says.“Then we need to apply for alicense.”The license — usually good forone day, up until midnight, Halesays — is granted by the Moore

County Commissioners board, soit needs to be planned well aheadof the actual event. This year,he’s even had some earlyIndependence Day clients callhim so he can prepare for July 4,2011.“We need to make sure there’senough of a window to get on(the board’s) agenda,” he says.Then on the day of the actualshow, Hale makes sure his teamgets to the site early enough sothat if there are any issues, theycan be taken care of before theshow begins.Weather, for example, plays alarge role in Hale’s day of setup.If the weather’s bad enough,Hale would have to pack up hisequipment — all the tubes, themortars and fuses, the racks andhundreds of shells waiting to beset off would be loaded back intothe truck and hauled back toLexington.“But in this part of the coun-try,” he says, “a summer thun-derstorm rolls in and we justwait it out.”If Hale’s able to shoot the fire-works, then the packing up hap-

pens after the show, aswell as cleanup.“Then, of course, we have tobreak that equipment down, putit back in the truck and clean upour site,” Hale says.With shows constantly going onin South Carolina and Virginia aswell as North Carolina, Halekeeps himself busy. He tries tocome to the Robbins event whenhe can, because he says heenjoys hanging out at FarmersDay when he’s not working.He says he’s planning onattending a fireworks conventionthe day after he’s scheduled to

puton theRobbins show and consideredletting a crew go without him todo the show. But he says hethinks he would prefer to come,because he wouldn’t want to missFarmers Day.

Jack Dodson is a summerintern at The Pilot. He attendsElon University.


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Explosions in the SkyThe Work Behind Farmers Day Fireworks Show

BY HANNAH SHARPENewsroom Intern

The potters of west MooreCounty are throwing clay inefforts to support the RobbinsVolunteer Fire Department at the19th Annual Pottery Auction forthis year’s Robbins Farmers Day.The auction will take place

after the Passin’ Thru bluegrassband performance at theRailroad Stage Friday, August 6,starting at 7:30 p.m.Ted Beane, an auctioneer from

Seagrove, will call the shots asvisitors bid for one-of-a-kind pot-tery pieces from the area’s pot-ters.The auction

began in 1991as a fundrais-er for theRobbinsVolunteer FireDepartment,but it hasevolved intoan annualcommemora-tion of thedepartment’sservice to thecommunityand an oppor-tunity toshowcasework from thearea’s local potters. Around 30potters contributed pieces forthis year’s auction.Auction organizer Jarius

Garner says the auction is alwaysopen to new contributions frompotters in west Moore Countyand in Seagrove, located justover the county line in RandolphCounty. Local potters donate gen-eral pieces from their workshopsand also create commemorativepieces that come with certifi-cates of authenticity for the auc-tion.Original Owens Pottery always

contributes to the auction acommemorative 12- to 15-inchplatter with the official FarmersDay logo on the plate.

Jane Demay, who hand-glazes alot of pieces at Original Owens,designs the plate using the samelogo found on the Farmers Day T-shirts each year.Boyd Owens says that because

his workshop contributes oneunique piece made especially forthe event, there is the opportuni-ty to take home a piece ofFarmers Daymemorabilia thatno one else has.“That’s what makes it really

special,” he says.Owens says that contributing

one piece also gives other localpotters a chance to create theirown unique pieces for the auc-

tion, whichoften show-case the area’sdiversity ofstyles.“Everybody

does their ownlittle thing,”he says.Rock House

Potteryalwaysdonates spe-cial pieces asgifts to theFarmers Daydignitarieseach year.This year, dig-

nitaries include local beautyqueens like Charity Haskins,Miss Moore County 2010, andSarah Daffron, Ms. NorthCarolina Senior America 2010.Last year, Congressman HowardCoble received one of the piecesas the guest of honor.Carolyn Poole says that she

likes to choose different piecesfor Farmers Day to keep thingsinteresting for the auction.“It’s never been the same each

year,” she says.This year, Poole chose to donate

bowls with an exterior brine saltglaze and hand-carved longleafpine branches. The inside of thebowl features a green glaze.Each piece has a stamp that

says “55th Annual RobbinsFarmers Day,” along with thedate.Poole is happy to see her art

help the greater community.Though she lives in theWestmoore fire district, shetakes comfort knowing that theRobbins Fire Department willrespond to emergencies, espe-cially during the day, whenWestmoore firefighters may beout on other calls.“The Robbins Fire Department

always comes,” Poole says. “It’svery nice to know that you’rehelping them do what they needto be doing— because they’re allvolunteers.”Proceeds from the auction


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OPENING

SOON

One-of-a-KindLocal Potters Contribute Original

Pieces for Annual Auction

see POTTERS, page 11

HANNAH SHARPE/The Pilot

Carolyn Poole shows off some of the pottery pieces Rock HousePottery is known for creating.


Rock House Pottery will donatespecial bowls like this as a gift toFarmers Day dignitaries this year.

allow the fire department to pur-chase better equipment thatwould otherwise be too expen-sive to purchase with the tax dol-lars that the department receiveseach year.Garner says that the fire

department needs more supportthan ever this year due to theeconomy. He added that the auc-tion is a great way to support thedepartment’s efforts and enjoylocal crafts.The auction also showcases

westernMoore County’s potteryheritage and the craft’s thrivingindustry in the area.Back in the early 1700s, Moore

County’s settlers used the area’sunique clay deposits to make util-itarian pieces of pottery forthemselves and their neighbors.Today, the area boasts more

than 100 potters turning andburning in workshops scatteredalong N.C. 705, drawing thou-sands of visitors each year downthe 25-mile stretch of countryroad better known as the potteryhighway.Though Seagrove is the official

pottery capital of North Carolina,the birthplace of N.C. pottery liesoff Busbee Road less than 10minutes outside of Robbins.Jacques and

Juliana Busbee,two entrepre-neurs with anardent love forart, foundedJugtown Potteryin 1921. The cou-ple were creditedfor single-hand-edly keeping thelocal potteryindustry aliveduring the adventof mason jars andmass-producedceramics.The Busbees

were the firstindividuals tomarket the area’spottery as a func-tional art form.Juliana Busbeesold local pieces as art in herNew York City tearoom.Boyd Owens, like many local

potters, partially has the Busbeesto thank for the tradition of turn-ing that has been passed down inhis family for three centuries.

Owens’ grandfather, J.H. Owen,was the first potter to begin turn-ing at Jugtown.Though Jugtown put his pieces

on the map, J.H. Owen hadopened his own shop, which waslocated down the road, in 1910.Boyd Owens’ father, M.L.

Owens, who added the “s” to hisfamily’s sur-name, was also apotter and tookover his father’sworkshop in1938.Original Owens

Pottery still oper-ates on the origi-nal site of J.H.Owen’s potteryand is the oldestoperating potteryworkshop in thestate.Carolyn Poole,

of Rock HousePottery, has rootsin the area thatalso run deep.Her father andgreat-grandfa-ther were bothpotters, though

they did not market their waresas extensively as other local pot-tery families during the burgeon-ing years of the N.C. potteryindustry.Poole remembers walking by

her father’s old workshop everyday on her way to school. Hisworkshop was located where

Chris Luther now runs his shopon Busbee Road.“I grew up there,” she says.

“Daddy’s pottery was betweenBen Owen Pottery andWestmoore School.”Though the pieces of her father

did not inspire her own work,Carolyn and her husband, Ken,began Rock House Pottery 28years ago.Rock House Pottery is known

for its brine salt exterior glazeand hand-glazed designs portray-ing pine branches, dogwoodblooms and grapes — all statesymbols of North Carolina.“Once you’ve seen a piece of

our pottery, you can always tellwho did it,” Poole says. “Ours isvery distinctive.”Both pieces from Original

Owens and Rock House potterieswill be on display, along with theother donated pieces, at the auc-tion.With the wide variety of glazes,

forms and designs coming out oflocal kilns these days, there’ssure to be a piece of RobbinsFarmers Day for everyone.For more information about the

pottery auction, or other RobbinsFarmers Day events, go towww.robbinsfarmersday.com.

Contact Hannah Sharpe by e-mail at [email protected].


PottersFrom Page 10


Boyd Owens puts the final glaze on the commemorative platter Original Owens Pottery will donate tothe Farmers Day Pottery Auction. Jane Demay designed the plate using this year’s Farmers Day logo.


The commemorative platterto be donated to the auctionby Original Owens Pottery

BY EMMA WITMANNewsroom Intern

At this year’s Farmers Day,there will be a noted absence,and one of great proportion.Steven “Big Boy” Sheffield,who died in May, was a belovedand well-known Farmers Dayparticipant.“Everybody called him ‘BigBoy,’” his mother, Clara Sheffieldsays. “He was a big boy.”A dedicated horse and mulelover who enjoyed wagon trainsand driving the wagon inparades, Sheffield’s enthusiasmfor the annual Farmers Dayevent was undeniable.“He always took his horsetrailer and camped out of townthe whole weekend,” she says.There were very few eventsSheffield didn’t attend orparticipate in.“He would always go to themusic on Friday nights,” hismother says. “He loved every-thing they had.”The pottery auction was oneevent in particular he was knownfor supporting every year.Jarius Garner is the Robbinsfire chief and the event’s princi-pal organizer.“He was always at our potteryauction every year,” he says. “Hehelped us raise somemoneythere every year.”His mother recalled that BigBoy always bid on and tried towin a specific piece of pottery —a special Farmers Day plate.“He would try to outbid every-body and get that, if he had themoney,” she says. “He had sever-

al of them.”Driving a wagon in the annualFarmers Day parade was anotherone of Sheffield’s favorite events.“On Saturday, he would alwaysride in the parade with his horses

and wagon,” his mom says.She adds that he was highlysociable, and embraced FarmersDay as a time to spend with oldfriends, and meet new people.“After the parade, he would

have a pig pickin’, and invite a lotof people to come eat with him—different people.”Garner says that his presencewill be missed at this year’sFarmers Day, and there are plans

to honor his memory during theparade.“He just enjoyed the festival alot,” says Garner, “so he was agood friend of Farmers Day andthe fire department.”

Parade Honors Memory of Steven ‘Big Boy’ SheffieldPAGE 12 THE PILOT — SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010

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Steven “Big Boy” Sheffield drives his horses and wagon during a past Robbins Farmers Day parade.


As a member of theQuicksilver Cloggers, SarahDaffron is no stranger to thestage at Robbins Farmers Day.This year, however, Daffron’sappearance at the annual eventwill include more than kickingup her heels. It will be markedwith a crown.The reigning Ms. NorthCarolina Senior America,Daffron will participate in theannual Farmers Day parade at11 a.m. Saturday, August 7, saysevent organizer Jarius Garner.Over the years, the FarmersDay parade has featured localcelebrities, politicians and anumber of beauty queens. Lastyear, Congressman HowardCoble rode in the parade along-side wagonmaster OdellHussey. This year, Miss MooreCounty 2010 Charity Haskinsalso will be a part of the paradeand will be on hand at noon onthe Railroad Stage for theaward presentations.A native of Guilford County,Daffron won the title and crownof Ms. North Carolina SeniorAmerica 2010 on June 8. Shewill represent her home stateand compete for the nationaltitle of Ms. Senior America2010-11 at Harrah’s Resort andCasino in Atlantic City, N.J.,during the week of October 3-7.The competition includes fourlevels — interviews with thejudges, 30-second philosophy oflife, evening gown and talent.Daffron’s passion for music,specifically bluegrass, anddancing was in evidence duringthe state pageant as she per-formed a clogging routine to“Pretty Little Miss” by PattyLoveless. A certified clogginginstructor, Daffron choreo-graphed her own routine.Her certification wasachieved by putting in manyhours of training, attendingworkshops, choreographingroutines and writing cue sheetsfor her dances. Daffron servesas the secretary of the NorthCarolina Clogging Association.In addition to dancing withthe Quicksilver Cloggers, of

Robbins, Daffron also danceswith Southern Country Cloggersin Greensboro. Both of these

groups perform at localfestivals in the spring and falland entertain residents atnursing homes throughout theyear. Daffron is the choreogra-pher for the QuicksilverCloggers.Under the direction of AileenGarner, Daffron and her fellowQuicksilver Cloggers, JenniferGarner, JoAnn Graham, BonnieHanham, Pam Kennedy, BrendaRitter and Lou Smith, willperform at Robbins FarmersDay. The Quicksilver Cloggersand Southern Express Cloggers,from Albemarle, will kick uptheir heels on Middleton Streetfrom 7:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.Friday, August 6.Daffron and her husband,Larry, live south of Greensboroin the town of Pleasant Garden.For information on becominga candidate or sponsor for theSenior America 2011 pageant,call Bev Wetherbie at (910) 944-8171 or Judy Kelley at (910)328-3671 or visit SeniorAmerica’s website atwww.senioramerica.org.



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In one of the newest events atRobbins Farmers Day, the town’sfire department will put firefight-ers from three counties to the testas they attempt to be the fastest,most able firemen they can be.The Fire Fighter Challenge, inits third year at Farmers Day,consists of fivemajor events: theRescue Randy Long, which con-sists of carrying a 200-pounddummy 100 feet in full firefight-ing gear; the quick dress, which isto see who can put on full gearfastest; the hammer sled, testingforcible entry skills; the truckconnect, which consists of puttingtogether a hose and dragging it100 feet; and the hose advance,which tests a fireman’s accuracywith the hose as they attempt toshoot a tennis ball off a cone.Then, for the particularly ablefiremen, there’s the “top gun”event, which is a combination ofall the events except the truck

connect. As an individual event,top gun requires one person to gothrough the whole list of events,and whoever completes all ofthem fastest wins.All of the events of the FireFighter Challenge will be held at 7p.m. Friday, August 6.Jeff Chriscoe, a lieutenant at theRobbins Fire Department, is set-ting up and officiating the FireFighter Challenge, and he said it’san event that happens all aroundthe state— some firemen trainspecifically for these types ofevents. Some other local competi-tions include Southern Pines,Asheboro and Brunswick County.“At a couple of departments,(training for these events) is allthey do,” Chriscoe says. “Weenjoy it. It keeps you in shape—but we just travel local.”But the firemen in Robbinswon’t be participating in thisevent— they’ll be running it.This year, Chriscoe said, fire-fighters fromMoore, Randolph

andMontgomery counties will beat Robbins Farmers Day to com-pete. The event, modeled after thefederally funded national compe-tition Firefighter’s CombatChallenge, came about in 2008when the Robbins FireDepartment wanted to add some-thing new to the town’s annualthree-day event.“Wewanted something differentfor Farmers Day,” he says, “so wethought about the Fire Fighterchallenge. People can come uphere and have some good enter-tainment free of charge.”The national competition wasstarted in 1991, coming out of astudy looking into the physicalityof firefighters. The nationally tel-evised event caused a series of308 firefighter challenges to bestarted around the United States.The only states that don’t have alocalized competition areAlabama, Hawaii, Connecticut,


Third Annual Fire Fighter ChallengeHeats Up at Robbins Farmers Day

see CHALLENGE, page 15

NewHampshire, Rhode Islandand Vermont.Other local versions of the Fire

Fighter Challenge have beenstarted aroundNorth Carolinaover the years. RandolphCounty’s Central Carolina FireFighter Challenge brings teamsfrom across the state to competein numerous events. This year’sevent was held inMay, and someof the teams competing at thatevent will be at the Robbins FireFighter Challenge.So far, Chriscoe said, the

Robbins Fire Fighter Challengehas been a success.Departments from different

counties have all come, and somerecords have beenmade, butChriscoe says it’s about havingfun.

“Every department that’s beenup here, they’ve had a blast,” hesays.In 2008, one of the firemenwho

won the quick dress event wasfrom the Crestline FireDepartment, setting arecord at 30 seconds.Chriscoe says that wasone of the fastesttimes he’s seen, andisn’t sure if anyonewill beat it this year.“It could be beaten,”

he says. “But that’s avery quick time.”Chriscoe said the

firemenwho trainspecifically for thesetypes of events, whotravel around tocompete in firefighterchallenges, train abouttwo days a week in order to stayin shape and compete at peaklevels.“Themore you do it, the better

you get,” he says.The team to beat, Chriscoe said,

is Farmer Fire Department. Hesaid the team, which is from out-side Asheboro in Denton, won lastyear and has consistently brought

a good group of fire-fighters.“They’re bringing

back the same teamthey had last year, soit’s going to be asight,” Chriscoe says.But the event is pit-

ting teams fromacross the southernpart of the stateagainst each other, soChriscoe says any-thing can happen.“About everybody

I’ve got here is reallygood,” he says.

Jack Dodson is a summer internat The Pilot. He attends ElonUniversity.


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Two of the area’s top clogginggroups will be dancing onto theRobbins Farmers Day sceneFriday, August. 6.From 7:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.,

Southern Express Cloggers andthe Quicksilver Cloggers willtake turns kicking up theirheels on Middleton Street.“Clogging is good, wholesome

fun for the whole family,” saysBanks Mabry, director ofSouthern Express Cloggers.The Albemarle cloggers,

which number just under 30members, specialize in bothAppalachian freestyle andprecision line dance clogging.Getting the opportunity to do

your own thing is how Mabrydescribes Appalachianfreestyle.Mabry, who has been dancing

since he was 18 years old, andhis wife inherited the studioafter the former directors quit.“My wife and I used to square

dance together before we weremarried,” Mabry says.At Farmers Day, the Southern

Express Cloggers will performroutines to popular countrysongs.Founded in 1996, the

Quicksilver Cloggers dance to avariety of musical genres,including bluegrass, countryand pop. The group primarilydoes precision line dancing,which is when everyone on theteam performs the same steps.


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Cloggers to Kick Up Their Heels at Farmers Day

see CLOGGERS, page 17CONTRIBUTED

The Southern Express Cloggers will perform several routines to popular country tunes.

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Dance members includeJennifer Garner, Sarah Daffron,Aileen Garner, Pam Kennedy,Lou Smith, Brenda Ritter andBonnie Hanham.Although the group’s home

base is Robbins, members comefrom a number of differentareas.Daffron is a certified clogging

instructor and choreographsthe group’s routines.Under the direction of Aileen

Garner, the QuicksilverCloggers dance at spring andfall festivals throughout thearea, church gatherings andlocal nursing homes.And, while most of the

dancing, Garner says, is for funand exercise, the group hasdone some competitive dancing.In fact, the Quicksilver

Cloggers competed at the 2009North Carolina State Fair FolkFestival, placing second in theTraditional Line Dancecategory (ages 26+).The group also earned an

honorable mention in theNovelty Folk Dance,International Folk Dance,Clogging Routines (ages 26+)category.Judging at the N.C. State

Fair’s Folk Festival is based onaudience appeal, authenticity,

appearance, enthusiasm andcompetency, so Farmers Dayaudiences can expect to enjoythe Quicksilver Cloggers’award-winning dance perform-ance.The official folk dance of

North Carolina, clogging is adistinctive dance style thatoriginated in the Appalachianmountains. Settlers fromNorthern and Western Europebrought their respective folkdance traditions to the colonies,which were further shaped byNative American and African-American dance influences.These influences combined

and evolved into a percussive“foot-tapping,” high-energystyle of dance now known asclogging.In the 1920s, Bascom Lamar

Lunsford added team cloggingto the competitions held at hisannual Mountain Dance andFolk Festival in Asheville, help-ing establish clogging as a sig-nificant part of Appalachiancultural heritage.The North Carolina General

Assembly adopted clogging asthe state’s official folk dance in2005.


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The Quicksilver Cloggers, including (front row, left to right) Lou Smith, Brenda Ritter, Bonnie Hanham,(back row) Jennifer Garner, Sarah Daffron, Aileen Garner and Pam Kennedy, will perform during the55th annual Robbins Farmers Day.

BY TOM EMBREYSenior Writer

When Ronnie Turner firstbrought amusement rides toFarmers Day some years ago,

he needed only one area for sixrides.

In years since, the growth ofRobbins Farmers Day hasnecessitated the expansion of

the rides. Now, the total numberof rides has doubled, and thereare two areas dedicated to rides.


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Carnival Rides Provide ThrillsFor All Ages at Farmers Day

see CARNIVAL, page 19

CONTRIBUTED

The Rola Plane is a popular ride at Robbins Farmers Day.

“When we first came, it wasvery apparent to me that thisfestival was going to grow eachyear, and we realized we couldhave brought more,” Turnersays. “And, over the years, wehave kinda grown the ride areawith the festival.”

This year, Turner’s company,Fun Rides in Sanford, will haverides for all ages. There will berides at both ends of town. Therides will be open from 6 p.m.until midnight on Friday andnoon to midnight Saturday. Andmaybe even later.

“We won’t close down until allthe people have ridden therides,” Turner says.

Riders will have to purchasetickets for each ride. There willbe discounts available for thosewho buy tickets in bulk, Turnersays.

“And, we will have quite avariety of rides,” Turner says.

There will be a giant slide, awhirling dervish known as TheTempest, a merry-go-round, theTubs of Fun, a bounce house, aFerris wheel and the most popu-lar ride, Rola Plane.

“Rola Plane is a big hit withthe teenagers,” Turner says.“They line up early and prettysoon you can’t see the end of theline.”

The draw of the ride, Tunersays, is the fact that Rola Planetakes the rider 30 feet in the airand then turns them upsidedown before finally returningthem to the ground.

But if that isn’t quite yourspeed, Turner says there areplenty of rides for the youngerchildren too.

“It’s really all about good,clean, family entertainment forpeople of all ages,” Turner says.

Turner and his brother,Robert, operate Fun Rides inSanford. Their company pro-vides rides for events all acrossNorth Carolina, as well as otherstates, but he said there was

something special aboutRobbin’s Farmers Day thatmakes it an event he and hisbrother look forward to eachyear.

“It’s the people of the area,”Turner says. “They really comeout each year and support theevent really, really well. It is agreat community effort.”

Contact Tom Embrey by e-mailat [email protected].


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In 1958, the parade consisted of 65 entries.The prize was a $2 cash certificate to spendin local stores. The Merchant’s Associationsponsored the parade. Today, there aremore than 400 entries.

Did YouKnow?Davis Tucker HeadlinesAt Farmers Day With3 Geezers and a ChickBY MARTHA J. HENDERSON

Design EditorFrom 8 p.m. to midnight

Friday, August 6, there will onlybe one band performing on theFidelity Bank stage at RobbinsFarmers Day — the DavisTucker bluegrass band. Or, asDavis Tucker calls them, “3Geezers and a Chick.”A native of Newport News, Va.,

Tucker has lived most of hisadult life in North Carolina, call-ing Lexington home for the past30-plus years. He began playingguitar when he was 8 years oldand then picked up bass, banjoand mandolin. But, he says, theguitar remains his favorite.Guitarist Tucker treats audi-

ences to a diversified selectionof musical styles, including blue-grass, blues, classic rock, folk, alittle jazz and originals. He singsand writes his own material aswell as playing covers.In addition to putting out two

solo CDs, Tucker is currentlyputting the finishing touches on aspiritual CD, which he hopes torelease by Christmas.“I’ve been blessed to be able to

make my living doing what Ilove, making music,” Tuckersays. “I will have CDs for sale atthe show.”When he takes the stage at

Robbins Farmers Day, Tuckerwill be joined by friends of his

who, he says, perform with himfrom time to time. Tucker, Lynn“Papatop” Spurgeon, JimmyHolder and Shannon Gregg are 3Geezers and a Chick.Spurgeon is Tucker’s washtub

bass player, Holder plays banjoand mandolin, while Tucker’s ex-wife Gregg sings with the group.“Of course, she’s (Gregg) the

chick and is the youngest of thegroup,” Tucker says.While Tucker is known for his

wide variety of music, 3 Geezersand a Chick play mostly blue-grass and Americana-stylemusic.“We aren’t afraid to do other

types of music in a bluegrassstyle,” Tucker says, “whichmakes for some interestingsongs.

Davis Tucker


In the midst of festivities atRobbins Farmers Day, membersof the South AtlanticWoodsmen’s Association will beputting on a show and competi-tion, chopping trees, and givingdemonstrations and facts aboutforestry in North Carolina.The competition is returning

for its second year at FarmersDay.The event, The lumberjack

competition, is part of theSAWA’s Lumberjack Series,sponsored by the national sup-porter for events like these,Steele.“The association we have in

the Southeast is the SAWA,”says Darrell Weakland, the firstpresident of the organizationwhen it started eight years ago,and now the secretary. “We’re anonprofit organization that doescompetitions, and we keep thetraditional forestry alive.”On Saturday, Aug. 6, at 12:30

p.m., the feel of Farmers Daywill shift from music, paradesand giant shopping carts to fourhours of chopping, cutting andracing. The lumberjack series ismade up of about 15 competi-tors, Weakland says, of the 20that are involved in the organi-zation. Not all competitors willtake part in every event, though.The competition is made up of

six events showcased atFarmers Day: the axe throw, theunderhand chop, the standingblock chop, the single buck, thespringboard and the stock saw.Weakland says the only part of

the competition that will changefrom last year’s event will bethe springboard, which involvesclimbing a pole using only axesand springboards, then choppinga block at the top. Weaklandsays the contestants will nowhave to climb up two poles.In the axe throw event, com-

petitors throw their axes at afour-inch bullseye while stand-ing 20 feet away from the tar-get. Points are given based onwhere the axe lands on the tar-get.For the underhand chop, con-

testants stand on a horizontalblock of wood. The lumberjackfirst chops the front side beforeturning and chopping the backside. Competitors are striking

the block with their axes onlyfractions of an inch, soaccuracy is crucial.The fourth event is the

standing block chop, dur-ing which contestantshave to secure theirblocks on top of anupright post. They chophalfway through thefront of the block andstep around the block,and finish choppingthrough from the backside. This event dis-plays the methodsloggers used in thepast to chop downtrees.In the single buck

event, a disc of wood called acookie is cut from a horizontaltrunk using a crosscut saw. Thisis the way lumberjacks used tocut wood in early days.The last event, the stock saw,

requires each contestant to use aregular chain saw. Each personwill have two cuts, and the com-petitor with the fastest timewins.For Weakland, the event is

more of a hobby than anythingelse. He says people who areinvolved in the SAWA are simplyvolunteers — they do lumber-jack competitions for the fun ofit, the way someone else mightplay golf or tennis.He says the people who are in

the organization are notnecessarily in a career dealingwith logging or woodcutting.“There’s a wide range of occu-

pations of people who do this,”he says. “No one really does thisas a full-time job — very fewpeople in the world would.”Instead, the SAWA is made up

of college students, as NorthCarolina State University has awoodsmen’s team; teachers; aNorth Carolina Department ofTransportation employee; andeven a bridge welder.“Some people always think it’s

loggers, but it’s basically a sportand a hobby, like golf would be,”Weakland says.And the members of the SAWA

travel around the region to dothese competitions. Despite thefact that they’re centralized inNorth Carolina, with seven ofthis year’s nine events in the OldNorth State, they also competein all the states bordering it. So

occasionally they’ll travel toVirginia, Tennessee, Georgia or

South Carolina.

Some of themembers of the SAWA travelmore frequently than others.

Some compete on larger stages,too. Mike Sling, one of the SAWAmembers, has competed in thenationally televised ESPN Steele

series every yearsince 1985.Weakland himself

competed in theSteele series in 2005.He says the SAWA is agood way for competi-tors to make it to anational competition.“We’re kind of a feed-

er division for thenational stage,” he says.“(In the SAWA,) you seea lot of the guys who arecutting their teeth andgetting the experience,trying to get to the bigcompetitions.”Part of the reason they

do all these events on a volun-

teer basis is to spread the knowl-edge of the woodsmen lifestyleand facts about forestry. On topof putting on the competition,the Lumberjack Series is also aneducational show.The organizers read off facts,

interact with the audience, haveprize giveaways and teach theaudience about the industry.“Throughout the show, we’ve

incorporated forestry factsabout North Carolina,” Weaklandsays. “A big talk nowadays isabout going green, and forestsare about as green of energy asyou can use. Trying to get thatconcept that forests can be usedin manageable way — it’s just asustainable resource.”



Lumberjack Competition Returns to Farmers Day


When you attend an event thatfeatures a parade with more than400 horses, mules and wagons,it’s hard to imagine that you’llalso find a stellar lineup of someof the hottest musical acts in thecountry at the same venue.Well, folks attending the 55th

annual Robbins Farmers Day,August 5, 6 and 7, will discoverquickly that horses and music —all sorts of music, from gospeland country to bluegrass androck ’n’ roll — can indeed befound and enjoyed at the samelocation.While gospel music kicks off

the three-day event on Thursday,it’s bluegrass music that getsthings hopping on Fridayevening. Passin’ Thru bluegrassband hits the Railroad Stage at 6p.m. and the good times will onlyget better from there.

Passin’ ThruPassin’ Thru features the vocal

talents of all four of its mem-bers, CH Lineberry, DwayneRunyon, Mark Burgess and JimDamron.Lineberry, a native of

Seagrove, plays guitar for theband. He has been playing blue-grass music since he was a boyand is known for having one ofthe clearest lead vocals in thebusiness. Lineberry took firstplace in the senior rhythm guitarcategory at the 25th annualYadkin Valley BluegrassConvention in April 2010.Born and raised in the south-

ern part of West Virginia,Runyon was introduced to blue-grass at a very young age by hisfather, Kenny Runyon, who had amajor influence on Runyon’splaying and singing. In additionto vocals, Runyon plays thebanjo for the group.Burgess has played bluegrass

since his childhood in Seagrove.He and Lineberry have beenfriends since childhood and have


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The Sand Band

played music together for years.Currently residing in Ramsuer,Burgess plays the mandolin andlends his good baritone vocals tothe sounds of Passin’ Thru.Another West Virginia native,

Damron nowmakes his home inThomasville, N.C. He has beenplaying bluegrass music sincehis childhood with his father,who taught him to play themandolin and the upright bass.He plays bass for Passin’ Thru.Runyon and Damron have

known each other and playedmusic together since they wereyoung boys. They both played ina band called Long Tyme Comin’as well as with Mark Templetonand New Vision, before joiningLineberry and Burgess inPassin’ Thru.

OutshyneClosing out the evening on the

Railroad Stage will be Outshyne,which takes the stage from 9p.m. to midnight.The band will return to the

Railroad Stage from noon to12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Outshynealso will play on the Post OfficeStage Saturday evening between8 p.m. and midnight.A group of high school friends

who decided to take their love ofmusic to the next level,Outshyne has been performingsince May 2007.Members include Waylon

Owings, lead vocals and acousticguitar, Josh Coleman, lead guitarand vocals, David McCall,rhythm guitar, Jason Paxton,bass guitar, and Matt “Smiley”Norris, drums.Based out of Laurens, S.C.,

Outshyne is a country band witha rockin’ edge that is quicklybecoming one of the mostsought-after concert bands in theSoutheast and across the nation.The band opened for Lee Bricein Darlington’s CarolinaNightlife in 2009, and alsoplayed the Bi-Lo Center inGreenville, S.C., as the openingact for Corey Smith.In addition to winning the

Carolina Music Award for 2009Country Band of the Year,Outshyne was named last year’sCountry Band of the Year atCarolina Nightlife and the QueenCity Music Awards in Charlotte.The group also has opened for

acts such as Smith, Robert EarlKeen and others.Outshyne plays a wide range of

music from a variety of perform-ers, but always country with anedge.

Rockin’ HorseSaturday’s musical entertain-

ment gets off to a rockin’ start,literally, when Rockin’ Horsebrings its versatile musical per-formance to the Fidelity Bank


EntertainmentFrom Page 24


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Stage from noon to 4:30 p.m.One of the premier bands on

the Eastern Seaboard for morethan 20 years, Rockin’ Horseplays a wide variety of musicfrom high-energy Top 40,favorites from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90sand current music, as well asgood ol’ time rock ’n’ roll.

In 1984, Rockin’ Horse chartedNo. 42 on Cashbox Billboard with“Let a Little Love In.”Rockin’ Horse got its start in

the early ’80s, when two fraterni-ty brothers from Chapel Hilldecided to create a unique bandthat blended a variety of qualitymusic to entertain any type ofvenues. Over the years, bandmembers have changed, but thegroup continues to draw praiseand excellent reviews.Current band members include

Doug Allred, keyboards, guitarand lead vocals, Allen Allred,lead guitar and lead vocals, RickEverly, bass guitarist and leadvocals, and Ron Tickle, drums.

Sand BandThe Fidelity Bank Stage will be

bursting with local flavor whenthe Sand Band performs from 8p.m. to midnight.Since forming in 1999, the Sand




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Band has emerged as one of thepremier beach music bands ofthe Carolinas. The five-pieceband from Pinehurst plays avariety of dance music, bluesand classic rock ’n’ roll, but theirheart belongs to the music of theCarolina coast — Carolina beachmusic.Sand Band members are Rick

Martin, Daryle Lemonds, SteveLapping, David Kellis, HenrylBaldwin and Tim Short.The Sand Band’s performance

at Robbins Farmers Day will

include a special guest appear-ance by Cammy Award-winnerTerri Gore.

Currie Clayton Jr.Hailing from Burlington,

Currie Clayton Jr. will amazeFarmers Day audiences with hisguitar playing which has beendescribed as “incredible.”Audiences will also enjoyClayton’s wide variety ofmusical genres as he performsfrom 2 to 4 p.m. on the RailroadStage Saturday.

Clayton began playing drumswhen he was only 3 years old. At15, he learned how to play his sis-ter’s guitar and has been playingever since.He has played in various bands

over the years and is currentlyperforming up and down theEast Coast individually, with atrio or with his full band, CurrieClayton and Last Call.Clayton released his first CD,

“Carolina Red Mud,” inSeptember 2003.

Mountain Creek HarmonyFrom 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.,

three groups will perform on theRailroad Stage. The first,Mountain Creek Harmony, is

noted for its tradition-al and originalSouthern gospelsongs and hymns.Based in Albemarle,

Mountain CreekHarmony has beentogether since April2001. The group’smembers, SummerMiller, Aaron Ottenand Monica Otten,describe themselvesas “just a bunch of

young ’uns who want to sing andtell about the love of the Lord toanyone who will listen.”Miller, the group’s soprano,

grew up singing Southern gospelmusic with her grandparents ontheir farm in Finger, N.C.The group’s tenor is Aaron

Otten, who has been involved inmusic throughout his life andloves singing for the Lord. Ottenalso is one of the songwriters forMountain Creek Harmony.Otten’s wife, Monica, is the alto

for Mountain Creek Harmony.She began playing piano by ear

at age 7, and began writing songsat 16. She is currently a song-writer, as well as pianist andarranger for Mountain CreekHarmony.Mountain Creek Harmony has

received several honors, includ-ing first place in the NorthCarolina Mountain State FairGospel Group Competition andnational finalists in the televisedINSP Network’s Christian ArtistTalent Search.



see ENTERTAINMENT, page 28CONTRIBUTED

The Sons of Thunder will perform on the Railroad Stage Saturday.

CONTRIBUTED

Mountain Creek Harmony

CONTRIBUTED

Outshyne will be performing three times during Farmers Day.

Their CD “Get Out There” wasreleased in September 2007.

Sons of ThunderNext up on the Railroad Stage

Saturday evening will be theSons of Thunder quartet.The Sons of Thunder got their

start in Clemmons in 1993, as agroup of men who sang regularlyin the choir at their homechurch. A favorite around theClemmons community, their richharmonic blend and unique acappella style led to the expan-sion of their gospel musicministry in 1999, and theirrepertoire and reputation hascontinued to grow.Two of the group’s founding

members, Paul Davis, first tenor,and Rob Bowers, bass, still singwith the Sons of Thunder. Theyhave been joined by MitchCamp, second tenor, and DanBooth, baritone.Over the years, Sons of

Thunder has been affordedmany exciting opportunities,including receiving the 204SOGO Award as the SouthernGospel Regional Artists of theYear. The group also has record-ed several CDs.

Michael CombsClosing out Saturday evening

on the Railroad Stage will be themusic ministry of MichaelCombs.Combs, from Todd, N.C., is

known for his unique style.Whether singing, playing theguitar or playing the piano,Combs faithfully shares God’smessage in song, holding strongto his faith and belief that all heneeds is found in God.Combs says many of his origi-

nal songs are inspired by “God’slove and mercy, what it means tobe saved and to encourage otherChristians (as well as myself).”These also are the foundationsfor his full-time music ministry.

Johnny and the CadillacsMoore County’s own Johnny

and the Cadillacs will be bring-ing down the house and closingout Farmers Day on the PostOffice Stage Saturday from 8p.m. to midnight.Johnny and the Cadillacs is a

stand-out group that delivers a

diverse selection of music fromseveral genres.The group’s lineup includes

music from the ’50s and ’60sdelivered with a modern twistthat makes these timeless songscome back to life. Classic rockfrom the ’70s and ’80s is servedup with the energy and enthusi-asm that made this music great.Johnny and the Cadillacs alsobrings the best of today’s music.With musical styles deeply

rooted in blues, rock, Southernrock, funk and soul, Johnny andthe Cadillacs is guaranteed tohave fans dancing in the streets.This band of seasoned musi-

cians includes Johnny Enloe on

lead vocals. Enloe delivers acharismatic and energeticperformance every time. Onlead/rhythm guitar, Robert Enloebrings hot leads and solidrhythms. Matt Kuhn and CecilMonroe lay down a backbeat andkeep the pocket tight.Since forming in July 2003,

Johnny and the Cadillacs hasplayed at some exciting high-profile venues, including theGreensboro Coliseum, theRobeson County Fair, CarthageBuggy Festival, the StoneybrookSteeplechase at the CarolinaHorse Park and Relay for Life.The band also is always apopular addition to the entertain-

ment lineup at Robbins FarmersDay.The band also performs at area

nightclubs and other venues.So whether you want to tap

your toes to a bluegrass orcountry band, boogie down withsome classic rock ’n’ roll or

dance the shag to the best inCarolina beach music, you’ll findthe beat you’re looking for in theentertainment at RobbinsFarmers Day.



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CONTRIBUTED

Passin’ Thru bluegrass band kicks off the music on Friday evening.

CONTRIBUTED

Robbins’ own Johnny and the Cadillacs will rock Farmers Day.


If you are planning to go toRobbins FarmersDay, rememberto bring your appetite.The event features plenty of

carnival fare, including gatorbites, hot dogs, barbecue, buffaloburgers, sausages, funnel cakes,Mexican food, Thai food, lemon-ade, ices, slushee, corn dogs andmore.“You name it, we’ll probably

have it,” says Lynn Loy, theorganizer for all the vendors.And on a hot day, therewill be

plenty of drinks too, includingCheerwine, the official drink ofRobbins FarmersDay.“Wewill have the booths spaced

out so that you can get one (colddrink) everywhere,” he says.Therewill be about 80 to 100

food and craft vendor booths atthe event, Loy says.On the craft side, therewill be

jewelry, T-shirts, wood crafts, facepainting, handmade soaps,handbags, belts and other items.Many of those craft booths willfeature unique hand-made items.“Wewant to be diversified,” Loy

says. “Wewant to have plenty ofreasons for folks to come out andhave a good time.”

Vendors will be set up onFridayand Saturday. Booths will openfrom 6 p.m. tomidnight on Fridayand 8 a.m. tomidnight onSaturday.Many of this year’s vendors are

familiar faces to regular attendeesof FarmersDay.Therewill be amechanical bull,

handmade puppets,livemusic and a vari-ety of businesses setup.Loy says the vendors

are a vital part of thesuccessful eventbecause their fees go alongway toward put-ting on the event. Themoney raised coversthe costs of portablerestrooms, garbagereceptacles and trashpickup, paying for the bands andother services.“Those fees help pay for a lot of

things you don’t see or take forgranted,” Loy says.In addition, some of the vendors

use the event as a primaryfundraising tool for their organiza-

tions.Planning for the festival is some-

thing that begins early in the year.And by late July, the spots are allclaimed, even though Loy says heis still receiving some calls fromvendors trying to secure a spot.“We are prettymuch filled up,”

Loy says in late July. “But wewillworkwith the ven-dors, especially if theyhave something thatjust jumps out at youas being different.”All spaces are

preassigned andmarked. Each space is10 feet by 20 feet.Vendorsmust sell

Cheerwine productspurchased fromPiedmont Cheerwinein Robbins. Cheerwine

is the official drink sponsor of theRobbins FarmersDay, and onlyvendors with pre-arrangedapprovalmay sell other drinks,such as sweet tea and lemonade.

Contact Tom Embrey by e-mailat [email protected].


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Lynn Loy,vendor organizer


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Farmers Day Is Largest Horse Parade on East CoastBY MARTHA J. HENDERSON

Design EditorThe 55th annual Robbins

Farmers Day has been selected asone of Southeast TourismSociety’s Top 20 events for themonth of August 2010.A three-day, activity-filled event

that has something to offer everymember of the family, RobbinsFarmers Day celebrates thearea’s history and allows the com-munity of roughly 1,000 people toplay host tomore than 30,000 visi-tors annually.Organized by the Robbins Fire

Department, the town of Robbinsand the Robbins Farmers DayParade Committee, RobbinsFarmers Day is set for August 5, 6and 7, and will feature all theentertainment and activities thatfestival-goers have come toexpect from the family-friendlyevent.

Largest Horse ParadeWhilemost vendors, carnival

rides and themidwaywill open at9 a.m. Saturday, all eyes will bedrawn toMiddleton Street at 11

a.m. as the largest horse paradeon the East Coast makes its waythrough town.

More than 400 horses, mulesand wagons will parade downMiddleton Street as spectators of

all ages cheer them on.Wagonmaster Odell Hussey,

following in his father Curtis’

footsteps, will once again lead theparade that will include individualhorses and riders, multiple-horsehitches, buggies, riding clubs andmuchmore.MissMoore County 2010

Charity Haskins andMs. NorthCarolina Senior America 2010Sarah Daffron will be among themany dignitaries featured in thisyear’s parade.Trophies will be awarded to

parade winners inmore than 20categories, including:� Best-dressed girl, boy,

woman andman� Best team of little mules� Best pony� Best team of horses� Best country horse rider,

female andmale� Best team of little horses� Best parade horses� Best work horse� Best rig� Best mule� Oddest rig� Best foal� Best team ofmules� Best pony rig

see PARADE, page 31


The annual Robbins Farmers Day Parade features more than 400 horses, mules and wagons.

� Best saddle horse� Best buggy� Best riding club� Best donkeyThe awards will be presented

byHussey on the Railroad Stageafter the parade.

Parade’s BeginningThe popular parade began in

1955 when cousins Curtis,Branson andGrahamHusseyapproached RobbinsMayorWayland Kennedywith a simpleproposition: a horse-drawn buggyparade through town.“We had to work pretty hard

back then,” says Odell Hussey,Curtis Hussey’s son. “But betwixtlaying the corn and getting uphay, there was about amonth inthere that people had just a littlepleasure. They had a little vaca-tion.”Kennedywent along with the

plan, and the next Saturday,“Wagonmaster” Curtis Husseydrove his 1906 covered wagon, afamily heirloommade by TysonBuggyWorks in Carthage, fromthe Smyrna Church communitydownMain Street in Robbins.“They came down to show

people what they had,” says OdellHussey, who rode behind hisfather in the first parade. “I reck-on they had prettymules at thatday and time. It showed the pub-lic how they’d taken care of themand how theymade a living withthem. I think they had a little bitof a pride in it.”After the first parade, the

Husseys returned home, but thetradition stayed.Three years later, the parade

had grown to 65 entries, and theprize was $2 to spend in localstores. In 1968, 330 people wereinvolved in the parade. Thenumber grew to 400 by 1978.The Robbins Fire Department

took over organizing the paradein 1985, when the previous organ-izer, the Robbins Area CivicOrganization, disbanded.“Farmers Daywas going to fall

by the wayside, and the firedepartment asked if we couldtake over the organization of thefestival,” says Fire Chief JariusGarner, chairman of RobbinsFarmers Day.Now, the Robbins Farmers Day

draws an average of 30,000 peo-ple to the three-day shindig and

includes numerousmusical acts,food vendors and awards.“It appeals to a lot of locals

because it’s almost like ahomecoming,” Garner says. “It’s aweekend of reminiscing and see-ing each other again. At the sametime, we appeal to the outsidecommunity because somany peo-ple don’t get to see these kinds ofactivities going on.We appeal to avery wide scope of folks.”Although Farmers Day has

expanded and shifted, the Husseyfamily has remained a steadypresence. Curtis Hussey led theparade for almost 40 years beforeOdell Hussey took over as wagon-master in 1992.Odell Hussey, along with his

horses, has attended all but oneyear. The year he didn’t make theparade, he was bringing his wifehome from an operation inRaleigh— but he still caught theend.

Top 20 EventThis year’s selection as a Top 20

event by the Southeast TourismSociety isn’t the first for RobbinsFarmers Day. The event garnereda spot on the list in 2005, 2006 and2007.Founded in 1983, the Southeast

Tourism Society is a nonprofit,membership organizationdedicated to the promotion anddevelopment of tourism for itsmember states of Alabama,Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,Louisiana, Mississippi, NorthCarolina, South Carolina,Tennessee, Virginia andWestVirginia.Since 1985, the Southeast

Tourism Society has published theTop 20 Events. The best eventsacross the Southeast compete to

receive the prestigious Top 20designation.Through a nomination process,

the Southeast Tourism Societychooses the Top 20 events goingon in the year, and publishes this

list of winners quarterly.To be nominated for a Top 20

Event, an eventmust be at least inits third year andmust have aminimum attendance of 1,000.Being designated as a Top 20

Event earns Robbins FarmersDay extensive exposure in theU.S. and Canada. The Top 20Events publication is sent tomorethan 1,600 newspapers, maga-zines, radio stations, TV stationsand others. The combined circula-tion runs into themillions.In addition, the Top 20 Events

arementioned in the SoutheastTourism Society’s website,www.southeasttourism.org.The Southeast Tourism Society

membership includes state traveloffices, attractions, hotels,motels, resorts, convention andvisitors bureaus, airlines, carrental agencies, newspapers, mag-azines and other travel-relatedorganizations.Formore information, visit the

Robbins Farmers Daywebsite atwww.robbinsfarmersday.com.

ContactMartha J. Henderson [email protected] intern KellenMoorecontributed to this article.


ParadeFrom Page 30


Riders parade down Middleton Street during last year’s Robbins Farmers Day Parade.


The first time there was anerror during Dipsol’s show,when the band members didn’tknow which song they wereplaying next, singer and gui-tarist Dan Banks joked aroundwith the audience to make upfor the mistake. Ever sincethen, band manager CariMcPherson says, they’ve triedto make jokes throughout alltheir shows.

“The guys like to incorporatea lot of humor into their con-certs,” McPherson says. “Thehumor usually comes out ifthere’s a problem — if thesound messes up, they’ll juststart joking around.”

Dipsol is a group of recenthigh school graduates, exceptfor bassist Andrew Ireland, whois about to start his senior year.All the band members met atUnion Pines High School andhave been playing for a year orso all together, hitting venueslike Flynne’s in Southern Pines.

“Everybody met in highschool at Union Pines,” shesays, “so it’s just a bunch offriends getting together — andeven though a bunch of themhave graduated, they’re stillgoing to keep Dipsol going.”

The group is scheduled to playat Robbins Farmers DaySaturday at 7 p.m. on MiddletonStreet.

According to McPherson, whohas been managing the bandsince January, Dipsol was

created out of a smaller guitarproject by Banks and fellowguitarist Dylan Thomas.Eventually, bassist AndrewIreland was added. It’s anacoustic, Irish-inspired rockband, she says, and they started

a couple years ago.“Dylan and Dan have been

composing together for a fewyears now,” she says. “Dylanleans more toward acoustic,Dan leans more toward metal.But they tend to meet some-where in the middle.”

But the band got serious abouta year ago when they added adrummer. McPherson says theyfelt they could play shows bet-ter, with a fuller sound, and addmore sound to the band if theyhad a drummer. So they broughtin Matt Lester.

“In playing live shows, theyneeded someone to fill out theband,” McPherson says.

The band recently put outwhat McPherson calls a mini-album, called “Recordings From

A Basement.” It’s a six-songalbum, which the band sells atshows they play, usually at gigsaround the Southern Pines area.

She says the band likes tojoke around. Whether it’s intheir concerts, with their songsor even with the band name.

“The name means absolutelynothing,” she says. “They justmade it up — I think they wereplaying Scrabble or somethingwhen they came up with it. It’snot a real word.”

Beyond just messing aroundwith their band name,McPherson says some of theirmusic is supposed to be humor-ous, for example, their song“Fish in a Bucket,” which is one


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Dipsol Takes the Stage at Robbins Farmers Day

CONTRIBUTED

Dipsol members, Dylan Thomas, Andrew Ireland, Matt Lester andDan Banks, met while attending Union Pines High School.

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see DIPSOL, page 34


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Tractor Show, Parade Showcase Farming TraditionBY HANNAH SHARPE

Staff WriterLocal tractor enthusiasts and

visitors alike are getting revvedup for the highly anticipatedparade of tractors at the 55thannual Robbins Farmers Daycelebration Saturday, August 7.While Farmers Day provides

three days of good food, games,music and contests, its parade oftractors and antique farm equip-ment show are part of a long-standing tradition that links visi-tors to a past embodying the cul-ture and livelihoods of local gen-erations.“Farming has been the back-

bone of this part of the county,”says Shorty Brown, organizer ofthe parade.Brown says that though

Robbins is known for being amill town, most of the workers inthe town’s cotton mills camehome in the evenings andfarmed their land.This year’s tractor parade sig-

nifies the farming tradition thatstill resonates with the area’sresidents. About a third of the

tractors in the parade have beenpassed down in families overseveral generations. For many

participants, the show andparade are a chance to celebratefamily heritages and to share the

stories behind the equipment.“I’ve seen as many as four gen-

erations being operated,” Brown

says.The event is also like a home-

coming celebration for the area.People come from all over just tosee old friends and old farmequipment.“They’re pretty close-knit peo-

ple, which all farm people are,”Brown says.Brown’s daughter, Kayla, may

be gearing up for her first yearof college at N.C. StateUniversity, but she’s lookingforward to participating in theparade on her bright red 1939International farm tractor.“Not many people from

Pinecrest High School can drivea tractor,” she says, smiling.Several years ago, her father

bought the tractor from a man inSeagrove for $35, thinking hecould use the model for parts.Instead, Brown fixed up thejunker for his daughter, and shehas ridden it in the parade eversince she was 12 years old.The tractor was lovingly

deemed “Little Red” by the lady

see TRACTOR, page 34


Kayla Brown sits on “Little Red,” the 1939 farm tractor her father, Shorty, bought and restored for her.

of their favorites to play in con-certs.“It basically consists of a say-ing — ‘We’re all fish in a buck-et/that’s full of crabs,’” she says.“It’s easy for the fans to singalong with and easy for them toget into.”But she says the band can beserious, too. One of their otherfavorite songs to play in con-certs is called “The Hero Song,”which deals with war andAmerican troops fighting over-seas.“‘The Hero Song” wasinspired by Dan’s cousin, whohas done a few tours overseas.He loves playing it because hethinks everyone can relate to it,especially in times like these.And beyond these two songs,McPherson says the band isalways generating new music,always writing more songs. Shesays every time she goes totheir houses, they have newmusic they’ve been writing. Butwhen it comes to recording, shesays, they stick to 10 or 15songs they’ve been polishing foryears, from their first album,which are getting better as theyimprove their recording abili-ties.As for covers at their con-certs, McPherson says despitethe fact that almost all themusic they play is original, theysometimes like to play aSouthern favorite, “WagonWheel.”When McPherson first heardabout Dipsol, she says it wasthrough finding the Myspace

for another project Banks wasinvolved in, called Impathica,where she heard a few songsBanks had recorded.“I thought his skills were real-ly advanced,” she says. “Hismusic needed to get out there.”Now, with all but one of theband members graduated fromhigh school, and the drummerheaded off to North CarolinaState University in the fall, thefuture for Dipsol soundsunsure. But McPherson, whowill be attending N.C. State aswell, says she thinks there’s noquestion the band will staytogether.“We want to keep the projectgoing, even if it is just a guitarproject,” she says. “It’s notsomething we’re going to getrid of just because everyone’sgoing to college.”



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DipsolFrom Page 32

who applied flame decals oneither side of the hood.Kayla Brown says it’s funhauling her friends in a trailerdown the street for the parade.Though her friends sometimespoke fun at her for being acountry girl, she takes a lot ofpride in her heritage and repre-senting her family during theevent.“I love my tractor,” Kaylasays. “It’s just one of the addedthings of being from the South.”The tractors will be on displayalong with other farm equip-ment during the day Saturday,beginning at 9 a.m. Visitors cancome observe all kinds of farmequipment, talk to owners aboutthe equipment and see demon-strations.At 4 p.m., tractors of all

makes, models and sizes willroll downMain Street and endat the Railroad Stage, where theawards ceremony will takeplace at 4:30 p.m. Spectatorswill likely spot the CheerwineBottling Co.’s antique deliverytruck and Randolph Telephone’santique service truck, amongothers in the parade.The youngest generation oftractor enthusiasts, whichincludes kids of all ages, willlead the parade, peddling ormotoring by on small toy trac-tors.Judging for awards will takeplace during the antique farmequipment show. An antiquefarm equipment expert willevaluate the models based onworkmanship and originality.Awards for first and secondplace will be given out for spe-cific categories, including thetop International, John Deere,Ford, Allis Chalmers and othermodels. There will also be

awards for best of show, bestantique farm rig and best modi-fied lawn mower.All of the kids who participatein the parade will receive a tro-phy.Brown hopes that everyoneparticipating can come to getset up early before the horseparade begins at 11 a.m. Anyonewanting to display their antiquefarm equipment should bring itto Fousher Street by 9 a.m.There is no preregistration orentry fee.Participants wanting theirequipment to be judged for thecontest must have their equip-ment on display by 2 p.m.For more information aboutthe antique farm equipmentshow, the tractor parade orother Farmers Day events,check out the events website:www.robbinsfarmersday.com.

Contact Hannah Sharpe by e-mail at [email protected].

TractorFrom Page 34


Eastwood Hawk played a showat the ACC basketball tourna-ment in Greensboro this year,after not playing together foryears.In the last 38 years since they

formed, they’ve never made awebsite, never signed with arecord label and even had only ahandful of photos taken of theband.“But everyone in Southern

Pines has seen us play,” saysdrummer Cecil Monroe, ofRobbins. “And that ACC showkind of got us out of retirement.We actually had people stop andpay attention to us, which waskind of cool.”Monroe said the show brought

three offers from athletic direc-tors from various universities toplay at football games in the fall.The band, which was touring

around North Carolina off andon throughout the late 1970s andearly 1980s, played aroundSouthern Pines for years andprovided the night life for thearea. Eastwood Hawk is mainlya cover band, playing classicrock songs.“It’s just a fun band,” Monroe

says. “We do a lot of good stuff:Bob Seger, the Rolling Stones,some others.”Monroe, like some of the other

members of the band, isinvolved in other music projects,but has been with EastwoodHawk the longest. Monroe’sother band, Sketchbook, is anoriginal band, but he said he

enjoys playing covers, too.“It tickles me to death just to

be playing again,” he says. “Weget back together and we justplay because we’ve done it somuch.”Eastwood Hawk will

come out of retirementlocally at RobbinsFarmers Day, whichMonroe said he’s beentrying to organize for afew years. The set isscheduled for Friday,Aug. 6, from 8 p.m. to11:30 p.m.The band’s opened

for some national actsin the years they weretogether — bands likeDoc Holiday — butMonroe said he likesplaying locally, like inthe early days.“It’s just a big

party, and I’ve beentrying trying to haveEastwood Hawk playthere for years,” he says. “I’mreally looking forward to it.”For Monroe, the fun is in play-

ing the shows. He said over theyears, the band would sometimesplay as often as four nights aweek and frequently would bethe live entertainment in down-town Southern Pines. In all thattime, he says, it was just aboutplaying more than anything else.Monroe says he regrets a little

bit that the band didn’t ever tryto sign with a label or put outmore albums, but he enjoyedplaying. Now, coming back froma few years off, Monroe says the

band is considering bringing newmaterial. But for now, it’s up inthe air as to what they will beplaying at the show.“I don’t know what we’ll play

until we get on stage — we don’t

even make set lists,” he says.The shows, he says, are ener-

getic and fast-paced.“Everything we do, it’s ener-

getic,” he says. “It’s energetic.That’s what we do best.”To Monroe, the band is filled

out by a number of musiciansthat add their own element to the

band. Lead singer TonyRichardson, for example, bringsan intense vocal performance tothe band.“I think he sings Bob Seger

better than Bob Seger does,”Monroe says.

The other members of theband include brothers HankWhitesell, the guitarist, and TonyWhitesell, the bassist. Hank,

Monroe says, was one of theyoung members of the originalEastwood Hawk group and hekind of grew up playing withthem. Now, he says Hank offershis own distinct sound to theband.Monroe said he thought the

show at Robbins FarmersDay will be a good opportuni-ty to play a larger venue inthe Moore County area. Hesaid the band can play a lot inother parts of the state —Cary, Carrboro, Greensboroand Raleigh — but the venuesin Southern Pines are difficultto play at frequently, becausemany of them are small.“There’s not an original

music scene down here,” hesays. “And I hate that.”Monroe said for the band’s

first Moore County show sincereforming, Robbins FarmersDay will be a fun show to play.And for him, Eastwood Hawk’smusic is for anyone who wantsto have a good time and enjoysseeing seasoned musicians play.



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Eastwood Hawk will come out of retirement locally at Robbins Farmers Day.

A familiar site at the NorthCarolina State Fair, the Got to BeNC Big Cart will be returning tothe Robbins Farmers Day duringthis year’s 55th annual event.The 13-foot-tall and 15-foot-long

grocery cart, powered by aChevrolet 396 V-8 engine, will rollinto town on Saturday, Aug. 7. It ispart of the North CarolinaDepartment of Agriculture’s Gotto Be NC marketing campaign,which promotes North Carolinaagriculture across the state byincreasing consumer awarenessof the availability and benefits ofbuying locally grown foods.“The Big Cart’s purpose is to let

consumers know that when youwant to enjoy all the freshproduce and other food NorthCarolina offers, it’s going to take acart this big to hold it all,” says aGot to Be NC spokesperson.“Finally, there’s a grocery cart

big enough to hold all the deli-cious food we produce in NorthCarolina,” says North CarolinaAgriculture Commissioner SteveTroxler of the cart. “It’s like amonster truck for groceries.”Since it was launched on July

13, 2006, the Big Cart hasappeared in 60 counties and hasbeen featured in nearly 300events, including parades, storeopenings, baseball games, fooddrives, county fairs and a host offestivals.The Big Cart was built by

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Farmers Day provides avariety of delights for thosewishing to witness acts ofbravery and adrenaline.Jumping out of planes is one.On Saturday, Aug. 7, at 12:30

p.m., Stanley “Bo” Kinnison andthree otherjumpers willdemonstratethe skillsthey learnedduring theirtime in themilitary,albeit in aflashy way,by parachut-ing fromthousands offeet in thesky.Kinnison is

the teamleader for theSpecialForcesAssociation Parachute Team.“I’ve been jumping for 33

years,” he says.Last year, three jumpers, all of

whom are veterans, took theplunge into Farmers Day. Thisyear, Kinnison is hoping to gettogether four jumpers, one ofwhomwould be just returningfrom Iraq.“We’re hoping to have him, if

he gets back in time,” he says.Kinnison says the jumpwill be

made from about 8,000 to 9,000feet, depending on wind condi-tions.The team first flies at 2,000

feet in order to drop wind driftindicators that detect winddirector and velocity.

Then,they’reready tojump.Once in the

air, the guyswill performstunts andformations.Last year,one jumperopened hiscanopy toreveal anAmericanflag.When the

jump hasbeen com-pleted and

their feet are back on theground, Kinnison and the otherjumpers will have time to enjoythe other activities Farmers Dayhas to offer, and interact withtheir audience.And he expects there to be a

nice crowd beneath them, perusual, he says.“Everybody loves Farmers

Day,” he says. “They turn out.”

Special Forces Parachute TeamSet to Drop Into Farmers Day

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The NC Big Cart is like a monster truck for groceries.

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Members of the Special ForcesAssociation Parachute Team willjump into Robbins Saturday.


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The 54th annual Robbins Farmers Day parade featured more than 400 horses, mules and wagons. Trophies were awarded to winners in more than 20 categories, includ-ing Larry Morrison, Best Rig; Annie McKenzie, Best Mule; Ray Garner, Oddest Rig; Alyssa Hussey, Best Foal; Jennifer Hussey, Best Team of Mules; Marvin Moore, Best PonyRig; Kathlyn Garner, Best Saddle Horse; Don Stroud, Best Buggy; Zoey Upchurch, Best Pony; Steven Sheffield, Best Team of Little Mules; William Batton, Best Team of Horses;Loanne Kidd, Best Country Horse Rider - Female; Roger Pullman, Best Team of Little Horses; Joel Jessup, Best Parade Horse; Carl, Hannah and Caleb Lineberry, Best WorkHorse; Black Bart, Best Donkey; Malley Purvis, Best Dressed Girl; Landon Hussey, Best Dressed Boy; Jennifer Hussey, Best Dressed Woman; and Ronald Hudson, Best DressedMan. Some of the winners are pictured above.


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‘DOWNRIGHT EXCITING’

Mule Show Is PopularFarmers Day Event


For more than a decade, theMule Show has been a popularevent at the annual RobbinsFarmers Day.Hosted by the Carolina Mule

Association, the event drawscompetitors and spectators ofall ages and from all parts ofNorth Carolina, South Carolina,Virginia and Tennessee.The event will be held at 1

p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, and willshowcase 10 classes, includinghalter, western, pleasure,driving, log skidding andobstacle driving.The event should last around

three hours. Winners from eachclass will be awarded smallprizes or trophies.“This a fun event,” says

Robert Kinney, the eventorganizer and emcee. “Thereare some things we see that weare amazed by and others wesee that just make us laugh.”Kinney said one of the aims of

the show is to entertain andeducate people about mules. Hesaid the one common miscon-ception is that mules are oneryand stubborn.“That is far from the truth,”

he says. “They are a lot likechildren; it’s all about how youraise them.”The Carolina Mule Association

has members based in NorthCarolina, Georgia, SouthCarolina, Virginia, Tennessee,Maryland and more.The group holds several

shows each year and has been

an active group for nearly twodecades.The turnout for the show will

likely depend on the weather,Kinney says.“It varies from year to year,”

he says. “When it gets hot, Iworry more about the peoplethan the animals because theanimals are quite a bit tougher.”Mule owners don’t have to

preregister for the competition.They can register right beforethe show begins. Last year, thecompetition had between 20 and30 mules.One of the event’s most talked

about and fun-to-watchcompetitions is the Coon Jumpor Mule Jump.The mules are placed in a 10-

foot by 10-foot box and theymust jump without a runningstart. Each time they clear thebar, it goes higher.“For two minutes, they jump,”

Kinney says. “Each time the barmoves up four inches. It can getdownright exciting at the end.”In past years, mules have

jumped more than 72 inches.The show is similar to horse

shows in many ways, but thereare some differences, includingdifferent competition classesand the attire the competitorswear.The Carolina Mule Association

will also participate in theparade, which begins at 11 a.m.that Saturday. They will ride asa group.

Contact Tom Embrey by e-mail at [email protected].


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For the fourth year in a row,the Orange County Pullers willbe revving up their engines forcompetition at the RobbinsFarmers Day.But they won’t be

vying for speed.Endurance is thename of the game inlawn mower-gardentractor pulling.On Saturday, Aug.

7, at 6 p.m., some-where from 40 to 60lawn mowers andgarden tractors willattempt to pull a4,200-pound sled thefarthest distance.It’s not your typical, everyday

activity, and is an event thatcontributes to the unique appealof Farmers Day.Based in Mebane, Orange

County Pullers is an organizationthat has been hosting lawnmower and tractor pulls acrossNorth Carolina and Virginia forabout five or six years.They were previously part of

another group for a couple ofyears.Ricky Gentry, from Orange

County Pullers, says the event ismade even more fun and excit-

ing at Farmers Day because ittakes place at night.“We do about 12 to 13 events

every year, and it’s always dur-ing the day,” he says. “I likepulling at Robbins Farmers Daybecause the event is at night.

“Night pulls are fun becausethe lights make it better. It’scolder than it is during the day,and you can sometimes see firecoming out of the pipes.”The event is divided into multi-

ple classifications, allowing peo-ple of various ages to participatein this event, such as a 5- to 12-year-old category.The demonstration of brute

force and power is sure to be aninteresting one, once again.As Gentry had said in regard to

last year’s pull, “It’s going to befun, no doubt.”


RED HAT SOCIETY


From their red hats to the star-spangled ribbons on their ponies,these young ladies added a patriotic flair to last year’s parade.

Documents

Robbins Farners Day, 2010