By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Staff Writer

SHELBY – Shelby Iron Works Park will be hosting its annual fall festival on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the park located at 10268 Highway 42 in Shelby.

The festival will offer a great variety of activities for people of all ages to enjoy, which include:

• Tractors, antique cars and a tractor parade.
• Sorghum syrup crushing and cooking.
• Blacksmith and sawmill demonstrations.
• Vendors with crafts, antiques and other knickknacks.
• The Iron Works Museum.
• Live Bluegrass and Gospel music.
• Country store goodies and treats such as clothes, desserts, candy, jams and syrup.
• Prizes will be given out.

They will also be serving their famous hamburgers, hotdogs, boiled peanuts and of course their sorghum syrup.

“The cooking of sorghum syrup is one of our biggest ordeals that we go all out for,” said president of the Historic Shelby Association Frank Hebert. “We are having a larger crop than normal this year so we will probably start preparing it on Friday to make sure we have some ready for Saturday.”

Vendors can be a part of the event for $15 and must sign a vendor agreement, which you can find at shelbyironworks.com.

“We also do a car show in the spring, but this fall festival is the largest event we do each year,” Hebert said.

The event started, from what most people say, in 1990, which makes this the 26^th year in a row the event has been hosted at Iron Works Park.

“It used to be two-day event, but that was very labor intensive and difficult to do, so we decided to turn it into a one-day event this year,” Hebert said. “I actually expect it to be more crowded than the normal 4,000-8,000 people that show up.”

Hebert is not only the president of the HSA, but also one of the cooks and harvesters of the sorghum syrup and said he will be in attendance to help with that, as well as bring along his antique tractor for the tractor parade.

Admission is free and the event will take place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It will not only include all of the adult fun, but the local fire department will be in attendance with inflatable bouncy houses and other fun items for all kids in attendance.

“It’s a great deal and when the weather is good there is a good following,” Hebert said. “It’s not only a big local attraction, but we also get people from all over the state.”

If you have any questions regarding the event you can call Frank Hebert at 531-9298 or visit shelbyironworks.com.