Gold Hill Founders’ Day celebration offers old-timey fun for all
Published 12:00 am Sunday, September 23, 2018
Forbidden Forest Horror Trail character in the Gold Hill Founder's Day..photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Forbidden Forest Horror Trail character in the Gold Hill Founder's Day..photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
The "Strings of Victory" from China Grove were the first musical group on stage at the Gold Hill Founder's Day. They are Donnie Miller, Jeff McCorkle, Hubert Furr, and Madison McCorkle.photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
The "Strings of Victory" from China Grove were the first musical group on stage at the Gold Hill Founder's Day. They are Donnie Miller, Jeff McCorkle, Hubert Furr, and Madison McCorkle.photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
The "Strings of Victory" from China Grove were the first musical group on stage at the Gold Hill Founder's Day. They are Donnie Miller, Jeff McCorkle, Hubert Furr, and Madison McCorkle.photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
The "Strings of Victory" from China Grove were the first musical group on stage at the Gold Hill Founder's Day. They are Donnie Miller, Jeff McCorkle, Hubert Furr, and Madison McCorkle.photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Four year old Dax Zeggert waves to the passing people at the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Cyclists in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Gold Hill Men's Club in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Civil War re-enactors from the Rowan Fifles in the Gold Hill Founder's Day..photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Forbidden Forest Horror Trail vehicles in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Forbidden Forest Horror Trail vehicles in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Motorcydles in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Civil War re-enactors "Rowan Rifles Camp 405" in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Civil War re-enactors "Rowan Rifles Camp 405" in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Salisbury's restored antique ladder truck in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
A 1957 Chevy in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Gold Hill Lions Club in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Dimensions Dance Arts students in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Nancy Knowles with her Cooper Austrian Shephard named "Kevin" in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Salisbury Family Dentistry ladies in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Tractors in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Stanly County Hillbilllys for Shriners in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Stanly County Hillbilllys for Shriners in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
The Gold Hill KREWE float tossed gold necklaces to the crowd in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Marissa Johnson rides "Black Beauty" and Cindy Farrington ride "Spirit" in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Two and a half year old Siddalee Horton eating candy in her pink princess dress at the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Motorcydles in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
All decked out in pink for the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Lady Civil War re-enactors with the "Rowan Rifles Camp 405" in the Gold Hill Founder's Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
"PopPaSicles" wagon in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
The "Strings of Victory" from China Grove was the first musical group on the stage at the Gold Hill Founder's Day. They are left to right Donnie Miller, Jeff McCorkle, Hubert Furr, and Madison McCorkle. .photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
The Mt Pleasant Fire Dept antique truck and a lady picking up candy at the Gold Hill Founder's Day..photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Gene Cooper wth his Cooper Austrian Shephard in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Mt. Pleasant Fire Dept antique truck in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Oliver Hill from Hill's Farms on his Oliver tractor in the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
The Forbidden Forest Horror Trail hearse, with a souped up motor, stalled and would not start so the men pushed it in the Gold Hill Founder's Day..photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
Six year old Bentley Morris used his baseball cap to catch candy at the Gold Hill Founders Day parade. photo by Wayne Hinshaw, for the Salisbury Post
By Andie Foley
andie.foley@salisburypost.com
It was a moment that, when played for movie screen, might have had the rest of the world in a hush.
On the side of the street, young Bentley Morris stand with baseball cap upturned and in an extended hand, his challenge unvoiced.
From the window of his car, local Representative Harry Warren, R-77, spots the hat and accepts the challenge, arcing a spray of hard candies toward the target.
He may have missed on all three tries, but Morris won’t be complaining: he’s successfully raked in just a bit more bounty during Saturday’s 29th annual Gold Hill Founders’ Day parade.
The kind of momentary stall might have caused impatience in some crowds, but — as with all Gold Hill festivities — Saturday’s celebration brought with it the calm sense of yesteryear. Residents and neighbors alike each slowed down to enjoy the day’s free-to-attend fun.
Festivities started at 9 a.m. with arts, crafts, gold panning and authentic historical displays, called heritage living displays. They continued until 6 p.m., with vendor and food booths and bluegrass music from bands Strings of Victory, Grass Strings, Jean Luc Leroux, Gold Line Bluegrass, The Gospel Plowboys and SASAFRAS.
While moms and dads enjoyed displays from the olden days — hit and miss engines and craftsmen and women at work, youngsters scoured the ground for “gold” nuggets, hidden throughout the park and redeemable for free treats and trinkets.
Then came the parade, opened by Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten and filled with floats armed and ready with candy for waiting and expectant parade watchers.
Particularly popular floats were Reed Gold Mine, throwing plastic gold necklaces; Cooper’s Australian Shepherds; and Forbidden Forest Horror Trail, with its hearses and ambulance and fleet of “undead” nurses.
Also among the parade, and later re-enacting by the barn, were members of the 28th and 30th North Carolina Troops.
The group were dressed in items authentic to the Civil War, according to member Stephen Wolff: jean cloth and eight-layered dresses with hoop skirts.
Husband and wife Brad and Shannon Long said their time spent re-enacting had become a great means of connecting with their 9-year-old daughter. During events, there were no electronics or present-day distractions, helping the family to authentically connect.
A lot like that calm reprieve that encompasses the Rowan County treasure of Gold Hill.
“There’s a lot of children, families coming up and asking us questions,” said re-enactor Ashley Sweet. “That’s my favorite: talking to the kids and their families.”
