Wednesday's Internet Edition, September 08, 2010.

People will be able to get their items appraised Friday from 3-7 p.m. at Heritage Park, the site of all events during the festival, which continues on Saturday.

“It will be a little bit (like the TV show), but more casual,” Jacob Fetty, marketing director for the city of Spencer, said.

Personnel from Mountaineer Auctions of Clendenin will be in charge of the appraisals. Fetty said people would be able to purchase a ticket for $5 that is good for two appraisals. If they want to bring more items to be appraised, they can purchase another ticket and get back in line, he added.

“We’ve been getting calls about it from Summersville, Sutton, Jane Lew… areas that have surprised me,” Fetty said. “Hopefully, we’ll get a good turnout.”

The new event joins a list of traditional activities for the festival, which is marking its 10th year.

Friday’s schedule also features horseshoe tournament registration from 5-7 p.m. and the Roane Tall Tales Contest at 6:30 p.m.

Noted Appalachian fiddle player Franklin George of Walton will play from 5-6:45 p.m. and a concert by the local country/rock group Crossfire is scheduled from 7-9 p.m.

“Everybody in that band is from Roane or Calhoun County,” Fetty said. “They definitely have a following.”

All festival music performances are free of charge.

A regular event returning on Saturday is an encampment of Civil War re-enactors beginning at 8 a.m. that will include a demonstration at 3 p.m.

Saturday’s slate also includes the horseshoe tournament at 9 a.m. and a flag raising ceremony by local Girl Scouts at 10 a.m. Other Saturday highlights will include heritage games, a story time, a vintage style show, small engine and oil derrick demonstrations, horse and buggy rides, family photos and plant potting as gifts for Mother’s Day.

Mother Earth Beat, a group of American Indian drummers, returns for 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday performances. Also back is Patty Cooper, a Roane native who will portray “Mad” Anne Bailey, a frontier scout during the Revolutionary War era, at 1 p.m.

Booths set up during the festival will show heritage crafts including blacksmithing, quilting, weaving, spinning, basket making and rug hooking. Goats will also be on display.

The Mountain Valley Cloggers of Charleston will perform twice on Saturday, at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Audience members are welcome to take part in the dancing during part of each show.

Saturday’s schedule will close with music by the Possum Holler Pickers, a local group, starting at 4 p.m.

The one-room school and depot museum at the park will be open throughout the festival. Concessions will be available both days as well, including beans and cornbread and grilled items.

Theresa Parker, a co-chair of the festival along with Fetty and Karen Leisch, said the event is important to the community.

“We don’t want to lose where we came from,” she said. “In order to keep our history alive, we have to bring people together with these festivals so they can see where they came from.”

As always, fickle spring weather could have a say as far as attendance is concerned.

“It’s so weather dependent,” Fetty said. “If we get some good weather, we’ll be set.”