Visit the past and marvel at how things were done at the 51st Annual Old-Fashioned Farmers’ Days on Sat, Sep 5-Sun, Sep 6, 9am-6pm at Silk Hope Farm Heritage Park, the longest-running event in Chatham County.  Every Labor Day weekend, the fields at Silk Hope Farm Heritage Park come alive with the chug of steam engines and the smell of barbecue. Hosted by the Silk Hope Ruritan Club since 1975, this two-day celebration of the area’s agricultural roots has grown from a small gathering into a beloved tradition that draws thousands of visitors from across the region.

Across the grounds, you’ll find a sprawling display of antique tractors and farm equipment, plus living demonstrations of how rural work once got done: a working sawmill powered by steam, a cotton gin, tobacco equipment, and the hiss and smoke of restored steam engines running just as they did a century ago. One of those engines powers the event’s most famous treat—”steam cream,” handmade ice cream churned on-site that’s worth the trip on its own.

The show barn anchors the entertainment, with clogging performances, live music, and a junior dairy show, while antique tractor pulls, craft demonstrations, draft horses, and farm animals fill out the day. Families will find plenty to keep younger visitors busy, from a kids’ discovery area to pony rides and a mini-train. And the food is unapologetically Southern: barbecue, pinto beans, and more.

Admission is $5 per person and free for children ages 6 and under – great for families! Leashed, well-behaved pets are allowed. See more Silk Hope Farm Heritage Park events.

PARKING & DIRECTIONS

Parking at Old-Fashioned Farmers’ Days is free and available at the community house, with overflow into nearby fields. The festival is located one hour west of Raleigh, NC, off US 64, one hour southeast of Greensboro via US 421 and US 64, 45 minutes south of Burlington, NC, via NC 87 and Lindley Mill/Silk Hope-Lindley Mill Rd, and six miles northeast of Siler City, Chatham County, NC.