Celebrate McDowell with gold panning, livermush tossing

This weekend, McDowell County will celebrate its heritage of both gold mining and livermush making.

The eighth annual North Carolina Gold Festival will be held Friday and Saturday in Old Fort while the fifth annual Livermush Festival will be held Friday evening in downtown Marion. Admission for both events is free.



North Carolina Gold Festival

The eighth annual North Carolina Gold Festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, said organizer Don Markum. Breaking from tradition of past years, the festival will be held this year at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort.

“We’ve been working toward a combined Rutherford-McDowell-Mitchell festival,” he said, bringing all of the region's historical association with gold prospecting into perspective.

For the first time ever, the gold festival has the support of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, a national group with lots of interested amateur and professional gold bugs.

With the growing interest in recent years, he explained, more has been learned about the early experiences in gold mining in the area, confirming what Markum has known all along.

“People settle in places for a reason,” he said. “History shows people settled here for gold.”

To help gather and organize as much information as possible about the local history of gold prospecting, this year’s event will feature an oral history booth. Those with lore to share of family history in the gold business can tell their story for a video and audio archive.

Among all the attractions will be one original Bechtler coin -- a $1 gold coin minted near Union Mills. Markum said the emphasis is on fun, food, entertainment and “lots of laughs.” Co-organizer Liz McCormick said the schedule is packed full. The fun starts at noon Friday and resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday, continuing through 5 p.m. both days. There will be karaoke and live bands, such as Old Fort’s own Possum Creek.

“We’ll have live demonstrations of panning, dredging and new mining equipment,” she said. “We’ll also have a new technique of smelting using your microwave oven -- this is definitely a ‘don’t-try-this-at-home’ technique.”

Of course it's not a festival without inflatables, and Bouncing Kids will be there to keep the tots happy and help them burn off the calories from all the “festival-style food.” There is a fee for the inflatables. Watch for door prizes, gold nugget raffles and a “nugget race” in the creek, which is basically a ducky derby. The first and last over the finish line will win a gold nugget.

Markum said he also looks forward to gold assaying and gem panning demonstrations as well as faceting, the art of gem cutting.

There are vendor spaces still available. Those interested should call Markum at (800) 939-9033.



Livermush Festival

Friday evening, folks can come to downtown Marion and celebrate the local livermush heritage with bluegrass music and inflatables for the youngsters.

The Fifth Annual Livermush Festival will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the courthouse lawn on Main Street. The free event celebrates the livermush heritage of Marion and McDowell County. Hunter’s Livermush, founded in 1955, is one of the sponsors of the event.

Like last year, the festival will feature bluegrass music provided by the Moore Brothers. Jacob Moore is a 13-year-old who enjoys playing the mandolin, fiddle and guitar. He currently studies the mandolin with Wayne Benson of IIIrd Tyme Out and the fiddle with Alan Johnson, formerly with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Isaac Moore is an 8-year-old who plays the mandolin and a few songs on the guitar. Together, they play in as the Moore Brothers, which also includes their dad, Jeff Moore, on rhythm guitar and their mom, Patti Moore, who helps with the vocals. Richard Penland is the lead guitarist, and Johnny Pons plays bass.

“The band loves to perform bluegrass, gospel, blues and spread lots of smiles,” read a news release from the Marion Business Association. “They have been playing together for the last two years. The Moore Brothers bring a high energy show to the stage.”

The festival will also feature the annual livermush cookoff. Entries must contain livermush and be provided in an 8-inch by 8-inch disposable pan. Dishes and written recipes have to be presented by 6:15 p.m. Friday at the entrance of MACA. Winners will be announced later that evening and the winner will get a $25 grand prize. For more information about the cookoff, contact Bobbie Young at 652-2215.

The festival will also feature the livermush toss contest. Free livermush sandwiches will be available.

“Any homage to livermush is welcome and encouraged, such as a costume or poem,” read the MBA news release.

MACA will sponsor the sidewalk chalk art. Hospice of McDowell County will hold a bake sale. Hula hoops and inflatable bouncies will be available for the kids.