A Fun Day for the Entire Family
Join the Over 4,000 people who visit Cooleemee each year to explore the history of Southern mill town culture. Enjoy food, music and heritage displays. This promises to be a fun day for the entire family.
New Spin on Old Mills
A Cooleemee Homecoming!
“This is a real homecoming event for Cooleemee. It’s also a day when we proudly share our history with anyone and everyone who comes.” says Tony Steele, president of the Cooleemee Historical Association.
When:
Saturday, September 24th, 10 AM to 3 PM
Where:
The Zachary House & Grounds
131 Church Street, Cooleeme
All Day Events
~ Free admission to all Cooleemee Museums
~ 2nd Annual Carolina Cornbread Contest
~ Crafters & A Great Kids Area
~ “Textiles from Days Gone By” Exhibit & Contest
Live Entertainment ~ Music from the Porch!
10:00 AM ~ Broke ‘N Lonesome
11:00 AM ~ Selena Barker
12:00 PM ~ Greenville Textile Heritage Band Concert
1:00 PM ~Risen Sun
2:00 PM ~ Stan Bobbit Band
3:00 PM ~ Little Brook and Short Bus
10:00 to 11:45 AM “New Spin on Old Mills”
In this exhibit and talk, Mac Jordan, the developer of Saxapahaw Rivermill, will talk about his experience at Saxapahaw and the potential he sees in Cooleemee. With over 330 original mill houses, the Bullhole and dam at RiverPark and the old cotton mill still standing along the banks of the South Yadkin River, Cooleemee is perhaps the best preserved Southern mill village of the post civil-war industrial age. Cooleemee’s mill, built in 1900 at the height of the South’s mill building era, closed in 1969.
12: 00 PM ~ Concert by the Greenville Textile Heritage Band
The Greenville Textile Heritage Band is a unique ensemble dedicated to preserving textile history and contributing to the arts. Patterned after the town bands common to textile mill villages during the early 1900s, the band uses authentic period repertoire, instruments, and costuming to communicate the historical and cultural significance of the textile industry to a new generation in a tangible and engaging way. The band was formed in August 2007 and has since played numerous engagements at various cultural and civic events throughout the Carolinas.
Carolina Corn Bread Contest!
The Tar Heel State can easily brag about its many fine cooks. We are also known for many food-themed events—the Lexington BBQ Festival, Edenton’s Peanut Parade, a festival each for the pickle and for collards. Now, our state has “The Carolina Cornbread Contest” each year at Cooleemee’s Textile Heritage Festival.
After a three-judge panel makes its rounds to taste all of the homemade cornbread samples, the public will take its turn.
About the Cooleemee Historical Association
With over 330 original mill houses, the Bullhole and dam at RiverPark and the old cotton mill still standing along the banks of the South Yadkin River, Cooleemee is perhaps the best preserved Southern mill village of the post civil-war industrial age. Cooleemee’s mill, built in 1900 at the height of the South’s mill building era, closed in 1969.
Preserved as private homes, most of the mill houses are still in excellent architectural condition. The work on RiverPark at Cooleemee Falls has breathed new life into the banks of the river and the dam which provided power for the mill. The cotton mill is still intact and ready to take on new life as a new economic engine.
This important and historically relevant collection of buildings and geographic features provides the backdrop for the work of the Cooleemee Historical Association which was founded in 1989. Since its founding, the CHA has established a museum at its Textile Heritage Center and a Mill House Museum one block away. The CHA also played a key role in the establishment of RiverPark at Cooleemee Falls. They continue to host educational tours for school classes.