Georgia Southern University Botanical Garden Celebrates Heritage Festival

October 1, 2010

The Georgia Southern Botanical Garden will host its annual Heritage Festival on Sat., Oct. 9, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During the festival, which will include a variety of activities for families, Georgia Southern University will celebrate the relocation of the Oak Grove One- Room Schoolhouse to the Garden. Admission to the festival is free, but donations to support the Garden’s programming are welcome.

The 2010 Heritage Festival will include live music, a plant sale, pie eating contests, games for children, historic tractor displays and even square dancing. This year’s festival will also feature the opening of the fully restored Oak Grove One-Room Schoolhouse. The schoolhouse, restored by Bulloch County native Jan Anderson, is an outstanding example of a one-room school typical of those that served most of Georgia’s rural students from the late 19th-century to the mid-20th century.

During the festival, Anderson will teach classes in the schoolhouse, and actors from the Averitt Center for the Arts in Statesboro will share a fun school day for visitors in performances at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Officials will perform a ribbon cutting ceremony for the schoolhouse at noon. The Georgia Southern Botanical Garden is located at 1505 Bland Avenue in Statesboro.

“The 2010 Heritage Festival is the perfect way to spend part of a terrific Saturday in Statesboro,” said Carolyn Altman, director of the Georgia Southern Botanical Garden. “Festival attendees can enjoy a relaxing family day in the Garden exploring the Oak Grove School, the Rural Life Exhibit, drawing water from a well and participating in games and activities including hoop rolling and scarecrow building.”

Area farmers will provide a demonstration of old tractors, and car enthusiasts can admire cars from the 1920s and 30s. Traveling minstrel Jesse Cockcroft from Charleston, S.C. will perform throughout the garden, and musicians are welcome to join Cockcroft for informal performances. Local delicacies will be available from Chef Elaine and an extensive assortment of plants chosen by Garden expert Bob Randolph will be available for sale.

The Georgia Southern Botanical Garden promotes knowledge and appreciation of the native plants and animals of Georgia’s Coastal Plain, connects people to the natural and cultural heritage of the region, and inspires environmentally responsible behavior. Once the home of Daniel and Catharine Bland, the Garden preserves nearly 11 acres of the farm they worked together beginning in 1916, guided by Mr. Bland’s passion for plants and respect for the land that sustained them. The Garden offers attractions for nature lovers, history enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a beautiful stroll through a Southern garden.

For more information on the 2010 Heritage Festival or the Georgia Southern Botanical Garden, visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu/garden.