RIO GRANDE – Preparations are under way as festivalgoers gear up to enjoy a weekend of family fun at the 30th anniversery celebration of the Bob Evans Farm Festival.

Monday, September 18, 2000

RIO GRANDE – Preparations are under way as festivalgoers gear up to enjoy a weekend of family fun at the 30th anniversery celebration of the Bob Evans Farm Festival.

The celebration is scheduled for Oct. 13-15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will offer three days of entertainment, craft displays, farm demonstrations, contests and children’s activities at the Bob Evans Farm.

From country and bluegrass music to lumberjack shows, tractor square dancing, corn shelling and hog calling contests, horseback rides and barnyard animals, the annual festival will attract thousands of visitors from across the region, Bob Evans Farm manager Ray McKinniss said.

The festival also features the craft work of more than 150 traditional crafters who demonstrate their wares – many made with tools and techniques nearly forgotten today.

McKinniss said many of the crafts will include demonstrations from "yesteryear" including spinning, weaving, handmade dolls, pottery, quilting, leatherwork, blacksmithing, horseshoeing, and butter-, cheese- and sorghum-making.

"Other attractions will include steam engines, horse-drawn carriage rides, herding demonstrations, horseshoe pitching, clogging and line dancing," he said. "New to our list of features this year will be the HOPE Equine Mounted Drill Team. They are a group whose 25 members range in age from 12 to 55 and performs musical routines and tricks on horseback."

He said the tractor square dancing was very popular during last year’s festival and has been asked to return this year.

"The tractor square dancing features eight farm tractors "dressed" in costume and they perform square dance routines," he said. "It will take place in the farm’s horse arena. It the type of unique entertainment visitors can only see at the festival."

He said children’s activities will include a hay bale maze, barnyard animals, face painting, lead horseback rides, horse-drawn wagon rides and special appearances by Bob Evans mascots Biscuit ‘n’ Gravy.

For more information about the festival call 1-800-994-3276. Adimission to the farm festival is $3 per person and parking is free.