Jones County Heritage Festival returns

By Janet Sutton

TRENTON - The Jones County Heritage Festival is in full swing today with fun, food and music at the Jones County Fairgrounds and the Brock Mill House. After being canceled last year due to Hurricane Florence, the event marks its ninth year, since being created a decade ago, with a two-day event celebrating their rural heritage and community pride.

To highlight the county's agricultural roots, tobacco looping and old timey corn shelling will be on display as the festival aims to offer a little something for people of all ages. Yesterday featured a pig cooking demonstration, wing cook off and Sling Shot Club demo. The excitement continues today with axe throwing, boat rides on the Mill Pond and crowd favorites like helicopter rides, car show, antique tractors and more.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Brock Mill, which flooded during Hurricane Florence, will be available for tours. The mill was originally built in the mid 1700's and attendees can view a corn grinding demonstration or take in the scenic views of the waterscape. In previous years, the festival has brought in around 2,000 people throughout the day and Jones County manager Franky Howard hopes this year will be another good year. He thinks the event is a great time for fellowship and a way for Jones County residents to earn income.

"It's an opportunity for local folks to get together from all across the county," Howard said. "We like for this to be an opportunity for people to sell items so they can make money, it's not a money-making event for the county or the group [Friends of Brock's Mill] at all but we have local non profits that come and sell tickets or sell food for fundraising efforts for their organizations," he said.

The opening ceremony will begin at 9:45 a.m. today with a prayer and pledge by a member of the American Legion and new this year will be amusement rides from D.C. amusements; customers can purchase a wrist band for unlimited rides for $25 or buy individual tickets. BBQ, hotdogs, sausages, chicken and others foods will be sold to tempt the taste buds along with a beer garden by Big Game Brewing. Over 70 vendors will be on-site with an assortment of crafts, informational booths, hand goods and treats for sale.