Another outstanding event for 2011! We sold out the 10 wagons and had a waiting list gain this year. We had an extra benefit in volunteer efforts this year with the new Boy Scout Troop 875 adding their assistance in getting the wagons loaded and unloaded and helping with the shuttle from the parking areas to the loading site. This year was extremely well executed and there weren't any noticeable problems. The performances were outstanding again with a lot of new characters and new actors and actresses participating. We observed the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the War Between The States with characters and scripts depicting what life was like at that time in history. We retained some of the more popular characters from past years but wanted to add enough variety to keep things interesting and fresh for the loyal people who make the Hayride an annual event. We are so appreciative of their support and patronage...as well as new participants.

If you missed the Hayride this year, mark your calendars for next time. It will be on October 13, 2012...

The date for History Hayride VI is October 8, 2011. We have another outstanding program to present this year. We are anticipating another sell out early so it will be necessary to call shortly after September 1 to be sure you have a seat for the event. It will be $10.00 per person again this year. We have changed the characters around to keep it fresh and interesting from year to year. Since this is the 150 year anniversary of the War Between the States, we will have an emphasis on events and personalities from that era in our reenactments. The numbers to call for reservations are...(931) 858-5695 or toll free at (800) 250-8619.

History Hayride V is now "history"...It was a resounding success and we grossed over $1,200.00 for our efforts. Many thanks for all of those who made it successful. We had 12 different characters and their performances were outstanding! All the spaces were sold out again this year...Unfortunately, we had to again turn away a number of people who called too late for reservations. We are at our maximum level...9 wagon loads...for the volunteer base we currently have. The Hayride is our major fund raising event each year and a lot of planning goes into every presentation. Carl Halfacre and the park employees add many hours to the efforts of the Friends to make it successful. It's a very good feeling to be able to participate in something that has such a significant effect on the Friends efforts for EESP.  Thanks to our Publicity Director, Anna Bertram, we had coverage in over 35 different venues. We had a full page coverage in the Herald Citizen newspaper out of Cookeville. We also gained some new members from the event.

Again..."Thank You" to all who were there and to all the volunteers!

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The dates for History Hayride V will be October 16, 2010. The date had to be adjusted to accommodate the Friends of Tennessee State Parks Annual Conference. I hope to see a good representation to both events...

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Here are some pictures from our History Hayride IV. Click on the pictures for an enlargement...You may have to resize them to fit your screen...All of your favorite characters were back this year with the addition of more scenes to keep it fresh and interesting...

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History Hayride IV is now over and can only be counted as a tremendous success!!

We realized $1,292 from the sale of tickets for this event. The weather wasn't ideal but we managed to fill up our wagons and still had people wanting to go. This one went smoother than any of our first 3 and we hope that experience in dealing with the many incidences have helped considerably for this and future hayrides. Many "Thanks" to all those that helped in any way. We had a good turnout of Friends to get it done. Carl Halfacre and his staff did a tremendous job in so many ways. We staged the event from the Visitor's Center this year and everything from parking to shuttle service was done smoothly and efficently. The amateur actors and actresses did an outstanding job in portraying the characters they represented. All in all...A job well done!

I wish there could be some way we could expand the event to accommodate more people, but with our physical limitations and time frames, we are at the maximum capacity we are capable of handling. If you wanted to go and found that it was already sold out...call early for next year. The date will be October 16, 2010. Reservations will be accepted starting September 1, 2010.

A big "Thank You" to all of you that attended...It couldn't have been a success without you being there...

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