By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
Looking to spend time outdoors and get back to nature this weekend?
Want to see a homemade electric car?
Or do you enjoy watching the art of goat milking?
Dan Nicholas Park will host its second Simple Living Festival, an all day environmental extravaganza, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
The park is at 6800 Bringle Ferry Road.
Entry and parking are free.
The festival is all about a time when life was closer to the land with heritage crafts, old-time music and good, down-to-earth fun.
The festival will feature a “Hammer In,” with blacksmiths from around North Carolina invited to participate.
“This ancient art is strong in our state with some folks still doing it for a living full time,” said Bob Pendergrass, supervisor of the Nature Center at Dan Nicholas Park.
Among the blacksmiths who will be featured is Jimmy Sabo, who is a teacher at East Rowan High School.
Other craft demonstrations include woodworking, gunsmithing, knife making, spinning/weaving and instrument (luthiers) makers.
Demonstrations will also include cow and goat milking.
The festival will also provide a look at transportation ó old and new.
Local craftsman Chris Hatley will bring in replicas of a Conestoga wagon and an ox-drawn wagon.
On the modern side, Joe Teeter, an Erwin Middle School Science teacher, will show off his home-converted, fully electric car for the afternoon.
Both Hatley and Teeter will be on hand to talk about their vehicles.
The festival will include nature programming and information booths from environmental organizations. Participants include Boy Scouts, Catawba College Center for the Environment, Salisbury Parks and Recreation, Davidson County Community College, LandTrust of Central N.C. and the Carolina Raptor Center.
Several entertainers or groups will perform, including Timothy Scott, a singer/songwriter.
Others scheduled to perform include: Richard Jones, Jim Gobble, Rick Lambert, Rachel Bowers, Danny and Gail Deal with Melissa Adams, Tim Scott, Michael and Gaynell Lambert, Mike Leazer and Marty DeJarnette.
For more information, contact Pendergrass at 704-216-7819.