Katheryn King spent Saturday dressed up as a 19th-century homemaker.
Donning a black full-length dress with long sleeves and a yellow cloth belt, King was one of about 40 volunteers at Dudley Farm Historic State Park’s 25th annual Cane Day.
Cane Day is an educational celebration of the past, and the event included demonstrations of practices like sugar-cane syrup making, corn grinding, butter churning, metalworking and children’s games.
“We’re living in such a technology-driven era,” King said. “No one wants to go outside and play anymore. So it’s good to have these hands-on activities that kids can have fun doing while learning to appreciate what they have.”
Dudley Farm brought in more vendors and musicians this year, said Morgan Tyrone, park manager. They also utilized more of the farm’s land for the celebration.
“Most people don’t realize the farm goes so far back,” he said. “By spreading out the event, people have a chance to enjoy more of the farm.”
Cane Day, which is focused on the post-Civil War era of reconstruction through mechanization, is the park’s biggest and longest-running event. It brought in about 3,000 visitors this year — about 20 percent of its annual visitors.
Dorothy James, a 69-year-old volunteer, demonstrated knitting during Cane Day.
“It’s wonderful to teach the children,” she said. “A lot of children don’t see people making things these days, and showing the process of making clothes shows that whatever you do takes time.”
James said events like Cane Day show the hard work that went into the simplicity of the old farm life.
“Everyone says, ‘Oh, I wish I could go back and live on an old farm,’” she said. “It’s more work than people think.”
Gainesville residents Beth and Eric Newman brought their 3-year-old granddaughter, Danielle, to the farm to see the animals and experience the early South.
“She’s very curious,” Beth said. “It’s good for her to see history at a young age.”
Mysteri Barnhill, a 52-year-old Silver River State Park ranger, made and sold period clothing, fruit-based jams and soaps at Cane Day.
“Kids don’t understand what their grandparents went through,” she said. “It creates a bond between family roots and opens dialogue about the old times. Otherwise, they might never think about it.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 12/7/2014]
Dorothy James, a 69-year-old volunteer at Dudley Farm Historic State Park, knits on the front porch Saturday at the park’s 25th annual Cane Day.
