Callands Autumn Potpourri Festival proves a crowd-pleaser

By DeAnna Rudisill-Overmann
Special to the Register & Bee
Published: October 4, 2008

Twenty-eight years ago, Pittsylvania County natives Francis Hurt and Mack Doss sat down in one of the old brick buildings at the now Callands Festival site, shared homemade Brunswick stew with a visiting historic society and birthed a new era in Pittsylvania County.

“They were sitting around eating stew,” said Colonial re-enactor Bob Mills, “And then one of them said, ‘Hey, we should make this into an annual event — a festival.’”

After 28 years of evolution, the festival now draws hundreds of vendors and crowds of as many as 20,000 people from all over the southern sections of Virginia.

“We’ve been with the festival for 26 years,” Mills said. He grinds and presses apples into cider while his wife, Brenda Mills, pours free cups for those waiting in line.

They are both fully and accurately dressed in colonial garb. Their grandchildren, Logan, Holden and a tiny girl named Blair, are also adorned in clothing from the same era.

“We try to keep everything authentic and enjoy talking to people about colonial life and the things they used to use on a regular basis,” Bob Mills said. “My grandson started helping me with the cider when he was a toddler. He would stand up on a wooden chair to help grind the apples. He plans on taking over the operation when Brenda and I retire.”

Along with the traditional vendors, who make home-made ice cream, pies, apple butter, bread and gourmet sauces, there are others who bring out the traditional fair food: hotdogs, hamburgers, barbecue sandwiches, turkey legs, french fries, funnel cakes, apple fritters, hand-pressed lemonade and cotton candy.

“This was much larger than I expected,” said 16-year-old Phoebe Stanley of Dry Fork Christian school. Her teacher sent her here on a research project, to learn the history of the festival, but what resonated with her in the end was the food.

“I loved the ribbon fries and fresh lemonade the best,” Stanley said.

Nearby vendors nod their heads in approval. “We’ve been coming out here for eight years now,” Hilda Hatchet said. Hatchet and Linda Bishop make fresh-squeezed lemonade while the rest of their crew, Billy Ragsdale and Jimmy Hatchet, make funnel cakes and fries.

Multiple children run and skip on nearby hay bales, bounding from heap to heap. “This is my fourth year coming,” said Danville half-pint Brandi Beckelheimer. “My favorite part is drinking the fresh cider and jumping on the hay bales.”

But fair treats and bale-jumping aside, there is also a heavy presence of educational exhibits and artistic talent.

Nearby, John Staab is dressed as an early free trapper and is selling a variety of his self-made knives while his wife answers questions about her hand-made jewelry.

“I sell most of my knives by mail order, but I still come out here every year.”

Sitting next to Staab is George Washington High School teacher Chris Aldrich. He makes his own American Indian flutes and is playing them for the meandering crowds, often stopping to answer questions about colonial and Native American history.

“I am just hanging out with a friend and enjoying the event,” Aldrich said.

Another colonial garbed individual exhibits his wares and does blacksmithing for the crowds.

Others sell hand-painted baskets, flower arrangements, hats, scarves and purses

In the background, the firing of an old black powder musket can be heard. It is Company B of the 18th Virginia Infantry — Civil-War re-enactors.

“We’ve demonstrated the firing and loading of the guns and showed kids and onlookers what the soldiers ate back then,” said Mark Hutcherson of Axton. “We set up camp this morning and will be here all day.”

Sponsored by the Pittsylvania Historic Society and the Callands Volunteer Fire Department and Auxillary, the bluegrass laced fun-fest of living history, crafts and southern food promises to keep enticing crowds for many years to come.