2022 Bright Leaf Hoedown
The upcoming event promises to have something for everyone. There are over 120 vendors signed up with a wide variety of food, fun and opportunities for community fellowship.
The artisan/crafter area will be up and down Main Street and around Court Square. This year there are numerous crafters displaying their wares from our area but a considerable number from outside the region that are excited to be here for the event. Interspersed among the crafters will be small commercial businesses and individuals. Our local area credit unions, ACE Home & Building Center, Bucks & Bass and The Flying Disc Company are among those.
The Veterans and Caswell Senior Services Car Show fundraiser is always a fun area to spend some time. These fantastic cars will be on full display to view and admire. They will begin from The Square and loop around down Main Street and West Main. After visiting the Car Show, step into CoSquare for a short video provided by the Caswell Arts Council. Both Caswell Smiles and Prolific Icons short movies will be shown. And enjoy a meet and greet by This Farm Wife from 11-1:00. Tours of the facility are available at 10:30 and 3:30.
There will be a large area of nonprofit organizations that provide many services to the community leading the way to the Kids Kountry. These groups represent a wide variety of services and have fun and games lined up for the visitors. Within this area will be a number of busses that provide fun educational options for the children and adults alike that will be leading the way to the Gunn Memorial Public Library where a special exhibit on Women’s Suffrage will be on display from 9:30 am – 3:00. So be sure to make it all the way to the library!
On the way to the library, stop in and visit the NCA&T Innovation Station STEM Education Lab Bus and see the Colgate Bright Smiles Bus Exhibit. There will be a huge Caswell truck promoting the services of the Solid Waste Department as well as a display by It’s Gotta be NC Ag and the NC Works Van.
Beginning in the morning will be the ACE Home and Building Center Cornhole Tournament. Sign ups will be at 10:00 am and the bags slide at 11:00 am. There are cash prizes for first, second and third places. You don’t want to miss that.
The Kids Kountry is going to be amazing. Located in the Pavilion area and interspersed with the Food Court and Food Trucks, many will likely spend a lot of time here. A huge obstacle course provided by Caswell Parks & Recreation will be a prominent sight. There are also a few bounce houses and a special bounce experience for toddlers presented by Tiny Tribe. Piedmont Electric Cooperative plans to have a bucket truck there for several hours and the Caswell Forestry Service will have Smoky on hand as well as a climbing airplane for the kids to explore.
The highlight of Kids Kountry will be the schedule of events on the Pavilion Stage. Area youth will be performing along with a few adults to help entertain the kids. Have your children participate in storytimes, sing alongs, watch local dance houses do their dance routines and more.
Throughout the day, the Main Stage (in the grassy area by Fidelity Bank), there will be a series of local area bands performing. We have something for everyone music wise! Enjoy a beer from the beer garden and grab a plate of food and relax to the sounds of Jus Cauz Bluegrass Band; Kristy Wilkins, country music artist; Newlina, a county hip hop band; Matt Boswell & the Hillbilly Blues Band; Mel Melton and the Wicked MoJos; and the Shag Doctors closing out the day with a big street dance for all!
For the agriculture area, several Caswell farmers have volunteered to provide exhibits to share with the county examples of the various livestock and produce that are here in Caswell. Baldwin Grass Fed Beef will be showcasing a few calves for the children to pet and maybe even bottle feed. Weather permitting (if not too hot) Satterfield Brothers Sheep Farm will have a pen of sheep for viewing.
A display of antique tractors and farm equipment will lead the way into the Hoedown Agriculture Exhibits. Come take a look at these vintage work horses and visit with the owners as they share their stories.
Also in the ag area will be the Caswell County Local Foods Council (Farmers Market) and the Piedmont Community College Ag Business Program Booth. Take a sneak peak at the new Center for Education and Agriculture Development (C.E.A.D.) too. The progress has continued despite the pandemic and increased costs of materials. Visit with the team there and learn of the wonderful opportunity for the students from BYHS to graduate from high school with an associate’s degree!
You will find in the agriculture area the Piedmont Progressive Farmers Cooperative booth where local pasture raised egg farmers will have a table sharing their cooperative membership offering as well as details on how they work together to help deliver over 1000 dozen of Caswell County pasture raised eggs every week to grocery stores and colleges across the region. Word has it that there may also be a few quail and guineas on display at their booth.
If you are at the Hoedown early, stop by the Historic Courthouse lawn for a Caswell Omelet made fresh on the spot using these fresh local eggs provided by the Caswell Cooperative Extension.
Speaking of poultry, there be a mobile poultry processing unit from the Stokes County Cooperative Extension at the event to demonstrate how you might be able to use it for your next poultry processing project. The Caswell County Beekeepers are going to be available too with many fun activities for all. We hope you will enjoy the day!
