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By Jeanna Baxter White

Word Master Media Group

The Daniel Boone Family Festival will be held in Historic Downtown Mocksville on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with entertainment on the outdoor stage continuing until  7:30.

It will feature historical tours, living history demonstrations, live music, local artisans, food, gem mining, axe throwing, and a kids’ zone with free inflatables and face painting.

Daniel Boone spent nearly 25 years in the Yadkin Valley area, and one of two tours hosted by the Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society revolves around landmarks associated with the Boone clan.

The big attraction for Boone buffs will be Tour A, which runs at 10:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 2:15 p.m.

Local historian Mark Hager, president of the Forks of the Yadkin historical association, will regale tour attendees with stories of the Boone family’s life in Davie County during stops at historic Joppa Cemetery, where Daniel’s parents, Squire and Sarah Boone, and his brother Israel are buried (Israel’s grave is the oldest in the cemetery); the Boone Tract at Bear Creek, a 640-acre parcel of land granted to Squire Boone in 1753 and later sold to his son Daniel; the Daniel Boone Marker in Farmington; nearby Pudding Ridge, where General Cornwallis crossed Dutchman Creek in pursuit of Nathanael Greene (Cornwallis named the area for the thick mud in the area his troops had to march through) and other locations across the county.

The tour lasts around 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Tour B offers an inside look at the restored Jesse A. Clement House (circa 1824) by current owners Mike and Margaret Cevasco, members of the historical society.

The home, listed on the National Register, retains its seven original fireplaces and 16-inch thick walls and is furnished with period furniture.

The Cervascos will further delight tour attendees with accounts of the Boone family and Davie County during stops at Joppa Cemetery, Bear Creek, and the Historic Center Arbor, constructed as a site for “camp meetings” during the Third Great Awakening in 1876.

Departure times are 10:40 a.m., noon, and 1:30 p.m. This tour lasts around 1 hour and 30 minutes. All tours are $5 and provided by bus or van.

Tickets for the tours will be available at the Historical Society’s booth next to the war monument. Contact Linda Leonard at (336) 909-2370 to reserve time slots.

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Take a step back in time as costumed interpreters from the N.C. Daniel Boone Heritage Trail share living history demonstrations and displays about colonial life from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Carolina Frost Cabin at S. Main St. and Lexington Rd. A musket firing demonstration will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

“We have a line-up of living history interpreters who will share with visitors what life was like in the time of Daniel Boone,” said Boone Trail Event Coordinator Doug Mitchell. “There will be flintlock lessons, tomahawk throwing, colonial music, cooking, spinning, leatherworking, and stories of the Boones in North Carolina.

“We are pleased to be a part of this festival and share some of Davie County’s history. If you think you may be related to Daniel Boone, we will have a professional genealogist with us who may be able to help you find your roots.”

“Many people, particularly kids, have no idea who Daniel Boone was,” said Linda Leonard, president of the Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society. “They especially don’t know Daniel Boone was married here, had children, and lived here for many years. We want to keep that knowledge alive.

“People get off the buses amazed at how much history there is in Davie County and how much they learned.” She regularly hears comments like, “I had no idea,” and “I’ve lived here all my life and didn’t know any of this.”

Leonard taught history for 37 years, mainly in Davie County. She often took her eighth-grade students on a tour of the county. She hopes the tours and living history demonstrations will spark an interest in history in younger generations.

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Live music will be played from a stage on West Depot Street:

• 1:30-3 p.m.,Rockie Lynne;

• 3:30-5 p.m., Moxie;

• 6-7:30 p.m., Hotwax and the Splinters .

Known for his chops as an electric guitar player, Rockie Lynne has assembled a wband and garnered a following for his energetic and entertaining live show featuring original material and popular standards delivered with a jam-band, southern rock flair.

Moxie will bring a variety of pop, soul, R&B, and funk music from all eras. This Winston-Salem-based band is ready to play high-energy music to get people out of their seats, with nods to artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, and Tina Turner. Featuring Staci McBeth’s vocals, three-part harmonies, and a tight, high-energy rhythm section, Moxie’s sound combines a funky groove with a rock attitude.

How do you like your bluegrass?

Hopefully, smoking hot. If so, you’re in the right place.

Hotwax and the Splinters has been voted one of the best live shows in the Triad for over three years.

All of the performances are free. Alcoholic beverages and water can be purchased in the concert area (no coolers). Food will be available for purchase at the food court.

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The festival is sponsored by the Mocksville Tourism Development Authority. To learn more, visit MocksvilleNC.org or contact Director of Marketing and Community Development Jennifer Evens at jtevens@mocksvillenc.gov or (336)-753-6705.

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