Look for these artisans, craftsmen demonstrating at Hootin an Hollarin

This year’s Hootin an Hollarin festival, held this Thursday through Saturday, will feature several craftsmen and artisans demonstrating old fashioned ways of doing things. The following demonstrators are planning on attending the festival:

• Chainsaw Carving: Jason Morton of Eagle Ridge Chainsaw Carving is a new demonstrator this year and will be located in the street on the southwest corner of the square between Ozarks Wifi and Shelter Insurance – Douglas Hawkins Agency. There, Morton will be demonstrating chainsaw carving throughout the day on Friday and Saturday. He may also have some carvings and items to sell at his booth. 

• Corn broom making: Darrell Wolf of Wolf’s Broom Shop in Wasola will be at his usual location on the north side of the square across from United Country Missouri Ozarks Realty. There, he will be demonstrating the art of hand-making cornbrooms and other sage broom items, which are also for sale. Wolf dresses in old-time clothing, which adds an extra element to his demonstrations. 

• Flintknapping: Get to the Points Knapping, a business owned by Andy Leach and Kara Collins Leach of West Plains, will have demonstrations on the art of flint-knapping. They will also have display cases and sell items they have made from stone including arrowheads, tomahawks and knives. They will at the festival Friday and Saturday in booth #3A, next to the Main stage. 

• Rope making and shake shingle making: Lynn and Charlotte Taylor will be at the festival demonstrating how to make old shake shingles, as well as leading an interactive demonstration on ropemaking. They will be located on the northeast corner of the square near the entrance to the Century Bank of the Ozarks parking lot.

• MDC’s fly-tying and leather-crafting: MDC employees Sarah Elrod and Sam Stewart will be at booth #96 (located at the entrance of Century Bank of the Ozarks parking lot) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday with Sam demonstrating fly-tying and Sarah demonstrating leather-crafting. Sarah says that festival participants will be able to try out some of the tools for leathercrafting. “I will have sample leather available for people to try their hand at using stamps and other tools,” Elrod told the Times. “I will have some examples of completed projects and will be working on some projects at the booth for people to watch.” The pair will also have a listing of upcoming MDC programs with links for registration for those interested. 

• Ragdoll making (make your own ragdoll to take home for free!): Abby Durr will be operating booth #84, a free make-your-own ragdoll station from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, and Saturday, Sept. 21. There will also be kits available for participants to take home to make, if they can’t stay to make their doll at the festival. The booth is sponsored by the Hootin an Hollarin festival committee.  

• Spinning, weaving and locker hooking: Cynthia Stevens of Oak Ridge Homestead will be at her booth (#107), located on the southeast corner of the square near the Main stage bleachers, demonstrating the arts of spinning, weaving and locker hooking. She will also have handwoven and hooked items for sale. 

• Homemade bread and apple butter making: Carol Latham will again be at this year’s Hootin an Hollarin festival making and handing out free samples of homemade bread and apple butter. She will also have breads, butter, mixes and jellies available to purchase. She’s located in booth #3B, near the Main stage. 

• Scroll-making (on courthouse lawn): Brian Thompson, an Ava resident who retired from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, will be at the Hootin an Hollarin festival this year on the courthouse lawn demonstrating an art of scroll-making using a pedal-powered scroll to cut out names in wood, a popular art used from 1870 to 1925. Thompson said he particularly enjoys providing items for parents who have children with unusual names that can’t find a customized souvenir in a store. He doesn’t charge, but he said sometimes people pay him for the product. 

• Fiddle maker (courthouse lawn): Stacy Davenport, from Yellville, will be at Hootin an Hollarin on Friday only. He will be located on the courthouse lawn demonstrating the art of making fiddles. He has been a fiddle-making demonstrator at Silver Dollar City in the past. He will also have a display of fiddles he has made or repaired. Davenport said people used to bring him fiddles when he was at Silver Dollar City to inquire about repairing the instruments. When they found out the cost for a repair job, they often would sell them to him for $50 instead. He would then repair them and resell the instrument. 

• Glass artist (on the courthouse lawn): Jake Thomas of Jay’s Glass Flow will be at Hootin an Hollarin this year, located on the courthouse lawn demonstrating glass stretching. He will have a variety of glass art available for sale, as well. 

• Old-fashioned cooking in cast-iron cauldron over an open fire: Victory Mission, a longtime Hootin an Hollarin vendor who usually brings a large trailer where they cook beans and cornbread and funnel cakes, is changing things up for this year. They can’t bring their usual trailer, but the church will be setup on the square demonstrating old-fashioned cooking techniques. They will be cooking ham and beans in a cast iron cauldron from the 1800s that has been cleaned up and seasoned well. The cauldron will sit over a propane-fired burner. They will not be able to make funnel cakes this year, but another vendor, Andrea’s Pies and More has stepped up to the plate and will offer that festival staple this year, along with nine flavors of fried pies. 

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Editor’s note: The annual Hootin an Hollarin festival guide lists Cathy and Terry Wyatt demonstrating lye soap and moonshine, and Kevin Smith demonstrating flint-lock rifle making with a traditional teepee. The three vendors have had unexpected health issues since the festival guide was printed and will not be able to attend this year.