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Mendota to Host Hawk Festival

In celebration of its rich, cultural history and its position on the Appalachian Flyway, Mendota will host its annual Heritage Hawk Festival on Saturday, Sept. 22, beginning at 10 a.m. Admission to all events is free, but money raised through donations or other activities will directly benefit the Mendota Community Center and help buy extra supplies for the rural clinic.
Mendota, meaning "bend in the river," is located on the north folk of the Holston River. At least five different Native American tribes once fished this fork and hunted the surrounding grounds. By the turn of the century, Mendota was a bustling little railroad town and a stop for passengers en route to Bristol.
Eventually, the tribes and then the railroad moved on leaving Mendota struggling for a new identity.
Now, as Main Street winds its way through the valley along the river, Mendota flourishes because of its rural location, rustic charm and the people who appreciate both. Already widely recognized as "The Hawk Capitol of the World," Mendota is also targeted for the Rails to Trails project supported by Governor Tim Kaine.
During the Heritage Hawk Festival, Mendota will exhibit the spirit and tradition of Appalachia in its purest form ... a community coming out and coming together for food and fun.
But don't forget the raptors. This festival is one of the many projects of the Bristol Bird Club. They will have a booth on the festival grounds and you can choose to take a short trip to the Mendota Fire Tower to watch for the raptors yourself. This will be a peak week for several kinds of hawks as they migrate south for the winter. More than sixteen species of raptors use the Appalachian Flyway because the mountains provide updrafts allowing birds to travel hundreds of miles without a single beat of their wings.
The sighting of a majestic raptor can elicit screams of delight from both young and old, but naturalists benefit from the sightings and raptor counts too, because they are a good indicator of the health of the environment.
Think you're ready for bow season? Plan to participate in the festival's first-ever 3-D Archery Tournament for lots of prizes.
In a tradition uniquely Appalachian, guests at the festival can choose a "Pretty Girl" by voting via their pocketbooks. The lady, or girl, with the most votes wins the "Pretty Girl Cake" ... a beautiful, stand-up, fashion doll cake, almost too pretty to eat.
No country festival would be complete without food. Visitors can choose from beans and cornbread, Philly steak sandwiches, curly taters, funnel cakes, kettle corn, cotton candy and more.
Dance, sing-a-long or just sit back and enjoy the diverse talent scheduled throughout the day. Rambling Rose kicks off the stage events at 11 a.m. with a mixture of gospel and country. At 11:50 a.m., Southern Flavor spices it up with bluegrass. Grab lunch and sit under the tent for Heaven Sent gospel at 12:40 p.m. followed by a salute to the women of country music by Girls Gone Country at 1:30 p.m. Ronnie Blake delivers a stirring tribute to Johnny Cash and Elvis at 2:20 p.m. and Blood Bought will wrap up the musical entertainment with more gospel at 3 p.m.
In between listening and eating, guests can stroll through booths offering everything from flea market finds to traditional crafts. And in keeping with the traditional festival atmosphere, there will be face painting, a dunk tank, hair beading, bingo and cake walks.
There will be classic cars on display and you may choose to enter the Quilt Show or just admire the handiwork of other quilts on display. The Daughters of the American Revolution, Children of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of the Confederacy plan to be active participants.
The 2007 Heritage Hawk Festival offers something for everyone. Festivities begin at 10 a.m. and continue until all the fun has been squeezed out of the day.
Despite being cradled in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, Mendota is only about 30-40 minutes from either Kingsport or Bristol.
For more information on participating in the 3-D Archery Tournament, call (276) 669-8386. For information on the Heritage Hawk Festival, to reserve vendor spaces, schedules and more, call Jo Ann Vicars at (276) 466-9533.

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