The millstones on Valley Creek turn again Saturday, Nov. 6 at the ninth annual Kenan’s Mill Fall Festival & Bluegrass Event.

The celebration of rural life and Black Belt heritage begins at 9 a.m. at the 1860’s gristmill located about a mile north of Selma on Summerfield Road (County Road 37). Admission is just $5 per car.

Free hands-on classes for molding Alabama clay begin at 9 a.m., and wagon rides start at 10. Live music kicks off at 11 with Caleb Bryant, a 9-year-old fiddler who has won numerous fiddling competitions and plays in the bluegrass gospel group CrimsonGrass. He will be followed by The Grasshopper StringBand and The Carrell Family.

The Grasshoppers, which bill themselves as a “non-traditional bluegrass band” will keep toes tapping to the tunes of “Wagon Wheel,” “Deep River Blues” and many more. The Carrells, a father, mother, son and daughter from northeast Alabama, sing and play bluegrass gospel.

Other events include a handmade quilt raffle and vendor arts and crafts that include everything from pottery to paintings, wire art, baskets, birdhouses, wood carving and more.

Children will not only like the clay classes but popup inflatables plus free wagon rides pulled by a vintage tractor.
Visitors can watch corn grinding at the mill and purchase stone-ground cornmeal and grits, tour the mill house and outdoor kitchen garden and take a trip across the swinging bridge to see the “beehive” kiln.

Once again, visitors can spend the day and eat lunch on site. The “vittles wagon” offers hamburgers, hotdogs, Hoppin’ John and other sides, along with homemade cookies or a fried apple pie.

“This is an event for the whole family, so bring your little ones along with Grandma and Grandpa,” said event chairman Ken Smith. “You can relax in the shade on the grass in front of the bandstand and either sit on a bale of hay or bring your own folding chair.”

Handicapped restrooms and parking are also available, and there’s a wheelchair ramp at the mill house.

Kenan’s Mill is located at 188 County Road 236 in Valley Grande. From Highland Avenue (U.S. Highway 80) in Selma, turn north on to County Road 37. The mill entrance is across the Valley Creek bridge just past the City of Valley Grande sign.

The festival is sponsored by the Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society.