15th Annual Piney Woods Heritage Festival this Friday and Saturday

Celebrate the early days of the Piney Woods region at the 15th annual Piney Woods Heritage Festival on Friday and Saturday, November 17 and 18.

The event opens Friday evening with two free public presentations from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Senior Center of South Pearl River County, 45 El Patch Parkway, Picayune. Dr. Tammy Greer from the University of Southern Mississippi will speak on the historical uses of Native Plants by Southeastern American Indians, and Mitch Robinson from Strawberry Plains Audubon Center will present on the Cultural Legacy of Longleaf Pine in the Deep South.

At the Crosby Arboretum on Saturday, November 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy demonstrations of traditional skills such as woodcarving, blacksmithing, butter churning, quilting, spinning, and basket-making. Enjoy Choctaw Indian Dancers, puppets and storytellers, and local historians. Listen to bluegrass and old-time music on the beautiful Pinecote Pavilion.

Festival admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children. Support and funding is provided by the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area.

For more information, call (601) 799-2311. The Crosby Arboretum is located in Picayune, Mississippi, on Ridge Road, between Wal-Mart and Interstate 59, at Exit 4.