CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
Free Community Event! 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Experience a day filled with food, fun, music, and a heapin’ helpin’ of history at the Daniel Boone Family Festival, a free community event taking place on Saturday, May 4th, in Historic Downtown Mocksville. The festivities kick off at 10 a.m. and continue until 7:30 p.m. Featuring local artisans, historical tours throughout the county, gem mining, axe throwing, and a kids’ zone with free inflatables and face painting, this event has something for everyone of all ages!
Experience a day filled with adventure, culture, and a hearty serving of history at the 19th annual Daniel Boone Family Festival in Historic Downtown Mocksville on Saturday, May 4th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with live entertainment continuing until 7:30 p.m. This free community event promises something for everyone. The festival 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.
Delve into Daniel Boone’s Legacy
Daniel Boone, one of our country’s greatest frontiersmen, spent almost 25 years in the Yadkin Valley area. The festival was established in 2006 by a group of local business owners, town officials, and volunteers looking for a way to celebrate Daniel and Rebecca Boone’s 250th wedding anniversary and pay homage to the family’s influence in the area.
“Many people, particularly children, 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.”
Embark on a journey through time with tours sponsored by the Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society. Boone buffs won’t want to miss Tour A, which runs at 10:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 2:15 p.m. and focuses on landmarks associated with the Boone clan. Local historian Mark Hager, president of the Forks of the Yadkin, will fascinate 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 a tour inside the lovingly restored Jesse A. Clement House (circa 1824 ) on Maple Avenue 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 church bus or van.
“People get off the buses shocked and amazed at how much history there is in Davie County and how much they learned,” said Leonard. She regularly hears comments like, “I had no idea,” and “I’ve lived here all my life and didn’t know any of this.” Tickets for the tours will be available at the Historical Society’s booth next to the war monument. Contact Leonard at (336) 909-2370 to learn more about the tours or reserve time slots.
Experience Living History
Immerse yourself in the past as costumed interpreters from the North Carolina Daniel Boone Heritage Trail share living history demonstrations and displays about colonial life on the grounds of the Carolina Frost Cabin at the corner of S. Main Street and Lexington Rd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 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.”
Leonard, who taught history for 37 years, mainly in Davie County, often took her 8th-grade students on a county tour. She hopes the tours and living history demonstrations at this year’s Daniel Boone Family Festival will spark an interest and love for Davie County history in the younger generations.
Live Entertainment All Day on West Depot
Grab your chair and head over to West Depot for a hand-clappin’, foot-tappin’ good time with live music scheduled throughout the day.
Live Music Schedule
The festival ends at 5 p.m., but the entertainment continues until 7:30 p.m.
1:30-3 p.m. – Rockie Lynne
3:30-5 p.m. – Moxie
6-7:30 p.m. – Hotwax and the Splinters
About the Artists
Known for his chops as an electric guitar player, Rockie Lynne has assembled a world-class band here in the Carolinas and garnered a loyal following for his energetic and entertaining live show, featuring original material and popular standards delivered with a jam-band, southern rock flair.
A musician’s musician, Lynne is what performers call a “triple threat”: a soulful songwriter, a moving singer, and a master guitarist. Starting as a lead guitar player in rock’n’roll bands as a teenager, he fell in love with country music in his native North Carolina, polished his guitar chops in Los Angeles, and finally blossomed as a songwriter in Nashville, signing a major recording contract with Universal Records.
His critically acclaimed albums have received rave reviews from The Associated Press, People Magazine, USA Today, to name a few. Over the last decade, he has appeared nationally on “Good Morning America,” ABC News, in the pages of People Magazine, and has had four top-40 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
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 some high-energy music that is sure to have you out of your seat! If you like artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, and Tina Turner, then Moxie is the band for you. Featuring Staci McBeth’s soulful and powerful vocals, three-part harmonies, and a tight, high-energy rhythm section, Moxie’s sound combines a funky groove with a rock attitude that is delighting audiences throughout the Triad region and beyond.
How do you like your Bluegrass? Hopefully, smoking hot! If so, you’re in the right place. Hotwax and the Splinters is the Triad’s finest in Bluegrass entertainment! Voted one of the best live shows in the Triad for over 3 years and running, these fellas will keep you coming back for more!
A four-man ensemble, armed with one mic, the Splinters will have you entertained from their first note until their last encore. For over twenty years, they’ve grazed many stages with different faces but always have had that hard-driving, North Carolina style of Bluegrass. Individually they are Splinters, but together they are Hotwax & the Splinters.
All performances are free of charge, creating a lively atmosphere for festival-goers. Alcoholic beverages and water are available for purchase in the concert area, and a variety of food options await at the food court.
Additional Information
The Daniel Boone Family 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. Follow the Mocksville Facebook page for all the details and event updates.
