Lynn Choate watches over the operation of an old ‘hit and miss' washing machine and other antique power equipment, including a corn grinder, at the Mountain Heritage Festival in Sparta last Saturday. Choate, who lives in Roaring Gap, restores old machines to their original working condition. In the photo at left, Jerry Keys of Statesville demostrates furniture making.

Heritage Festival attendance rises

Expected rains held off, and sunny skies greeted the crowd that attended last Saturday's 11th annual Mountain Heritage Festival in downtown Sparta.

"We had a good day — we had a real good day," commented Alleghany Chamber of Commerce Director Leanne Murray. "We were really pleased with the turnout. It was probably our biggest crowd in the last few years."

The people who lined Sparta's streets enjoyed food from eight vendors, including barbecue, polish sausage, fried apple pies, shaved ice, cotton candy, popcorn and other assorted varieties. There were also 48 booths featuring baskets, wood working, leather goods, pottery, stained glass, jewelry, paintings, hand-made banjos, baked goods, Christmas decorations and others.

"We've gotten some very positive feedback from vendors and from people that came," Murray said. "They loved the music, the cloggers, everything."

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