Contributed

Months of planning and labor will come together this Saturday, as Fredonia Heritage Association presents the popular one-day festival now in its ninth year.

As always, there are new performers and vendors added to the blend of musical acts and crafts people that have proven popular in the past.

Admission and parking continue to be free and all the attractions are in one location on the grounds of or inside the historic Fredonia Community House located on Chambers County Road 222.

This year, the festival expands its musical range with the addition of Jontavious Willis, a notable bluesman, in a one-hour set at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET. He recently was the opening act for a large concert at Sweetland Amphitheatre in LaGrange and has attracted a large following.

Entertainment will be in blocks of approximate time to allow festival-goers to hear their favorites and still have time to shop the many craft vendors and sample a wide selection of food.

The festival opens at 10 a.m. ET, offering such area talent as Gail and Donny Douglas, Deb Atkins, Kevin Dunn and Star Wonders Gospel.  From 11 a.m. to noon, it will be primarily gospel and Christian selections.

Bluegrass and country take the stage right at noon with Amber and the Dixieland Bluegrass.

Wiregrass, a popular ensemble that enjoys success across the southeast, will be up around 1 p.m., followed by Wilson’s Pickin’ House and other area groups.

Willis will bring in the blues around 2:30 p.m. that day.

Inside the Community House, there will be presentations on Fredonia, the place, as it might have been 200 years ago.

Famed Southern herbalist Daryl Patton will also lead a “plant walk” from the Community House at 11 a.m. ET to point out medicinal uses of plants native to the area.

Times for the musical acts and inside presentations, as well as a map showing vendor locations, will be handed out to visitors as they enter the grounds.

At 4:30 p.m., there will be a drawing for the handcrafted quilt being offered this year, as well as a Yeti cooler donated by a Fredonia Heritage board member.  Quilt tickets are $2 each of 3 for $5.  There is no charge for Yeti cooler tickets but you must register at the welcome booth to enter your name for that drawing.

Quilt tickets are available at Belcher’s Jewelry, Lanett, or from any member of Fredonia Heritage Association.