BAY MINETTE, Alabama — The first annual Old Time Country Festival will be April 28 at Baldwin County Bicentennial Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and feature live music and demonstrations designed to replicate life in the early 1800s.

 The Baldwin County Commission and the Baldwin County Department of Archives and History invite all Baldwin County citizens and visitors to the park to enjoy a day filled with activity.

The park is on State Road 225 about 2 miles north of I-65.

 The Old Time Country Festival is a “Celebration of Baldwin County’s Farming Heritage.” The festival will include the ribbon cutting and opening of the new 19th Century Blacksmith Shop at the Park, as well as an antique tractor display, blacksmith demonstrations, horse and mule demonstrations and traditional children’s games.

The festival will also have a wide variety of vendors providing demonstrations and products and there will be musical entertainment throughout the day.

A blacksmith shop is complete at Bicentennial Park and will be ready for demonstrations April 28 for the Old Time Country Festival. The blacksmithing shop was constructed to replicate the appearance of an 1830s shop in Alabama, according to park director Nick Warren.

The front siding of liter pine with front shingling  is complete. Boards are centered at all vertical joinings to prevent rain damage and provide insulation, Warren said. Areas behind the pine are filled in with river rock, replicating period structures. At the back of the structure, manipulative shutters allow observers to view blacksmithing, while maintaining a safe distance.

 The roof is cedar shaped made of a 30-year composite material to replicate the appearance of native architecture.

Bill Williamson, a member of the Bay Area Forage Council, has donated hand-made bellows for the facility. A wagon bay, or cooperage area, will exhibit barrel making and wagon wheel repair.

 “We want everything to appear authentic,” Warren said. “But we want people safe and secure. We are using modern architecture, but taking every means to look authentic. You won’t be able to tell any difference.”

Visitors can also view the park’s various exhibits, including a 1910 country store, Indian lifestyles exhibit, 1800s trade house as well as the Veteran’s Memorial Park which commemorates the lives of the men and women who have served in  the military.

The park also offers two pavilions that visitors are welcome to use for picnic lunches or to relax and enjoy the surroundings. No alcohol is allowed.

Two small vehicles are available for seniors or handicapped visitors. For more information or to schedule a guided tour of the park, contact the Baldwin County Department of Archives and History at 251-580-1897, or 251 610-0006.