TIFTON — The long whine of the train whistle was heard throughout northwest Tifton Saturday morning. Whether it was the train rides or tractors pulling hay bales, visitors to the Georgia Museum of Agriculture’s Folklife Festival were whisked back to an earlier era of American history.

Neither the chance of bad weather nor the heat stopped people from touring the various locations and demonstrations at the GMA’s Historic Village. Smoke billowed from the blacksmithing shop while sawdust flew from the back of the sawmill. The smell of turpentine filled the air around the fire still while tractors roared to life on a convoy through the microcosm of yesteryear.

Polly Huff, curator of the GMA and Historic Village, said the event was created to showcase seasonal crafts and skills as well as folk arts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Activities around the Historic Village displayed springtime events such as sheep shearing and distilling turpentine. Shown at the museum were the American Legacy Quilt Show and a Twisted Stitches gallery. New to the museum is an 1800’s era spongeware exhibit with over 150 pieces.

The event would not be a success without the volunteers who enacted the men and women of the time period. Greg Tucker didn’t mind the heat while he stoked the fire in the blacksmithing shop. He was glad to be a part of the action.

“I like coming out here and blacksmithing,” he said.

The people who stopped by and asked questions about the history of blacksmithing made the heat worthwhile.

“I like the people who visit,” Tucker said. “I like being a part of this event because it’s a place of value with historical significance.”

When asked why he spent hours in a building with no air-conditioning talking to strangers about old-time newspapers, Brett Fountain, a volunteer in the print shop, had his answer.

“It’s awesome because kids who are used to the way things are today are exposed to things the way they once were, like how hard life was compared to today,” said Fountain. As a means of merging the past with the future, visitors to the print shop were allowed to print a #Folklife paper as a souvenir.

There were things to do for the whole family. The kids could have their faces painted, make yarn dolls, or play recreational games such as Tug-of-War and sack races. Parents had the chance to try their hand at sewing, tatting, and racing boats down the stream near the gristmill. And what would a Victorian-era village be without a Spelling Bee at the schoolhouse?

The event coincided with the opening of the Farmers’ Market, which had one of the largest turnouts in its history. Anyone who missed the festivities can still visit the museum and village during the week or on the weekend. Stop by the gift shop for more details.