DOBSON — Next week, families will gather at Fisher River Park for the fifth annual Celebration of Agriculture, which will include food, games and displays, along with some new activities.

The event is schedule to take place on Sept. 11 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the park. The celebration is free for all ages. The only charge will be if people want to purchase food.

“It’s a really great day for the family,” said Joanna Radford, extension agent for the Surry County office of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.

Extension agents have planned several new activities this year. There will be blacksmithing demonstrations. Safety for all-terrain vehicles will be taught at the event. ATVs will be located at the site. There also will be a pig fling, where people use a large slingshot to try to hit targets with a small pig-shaped object.

There will be plenty of activities for young and old alike. Agromedicine workers will be on hand to conduct health screenings, such as blood pressure checks. Antique and new tractors and farm equipment will be on display at the park, and a tractor hayride will transfer people from the parking lot to the event. There also will be country, bluegrass and gospel performances from Crossroad and Too Young, Too Old.

There will be plenty of activities for kids again, such as the 4-H activities center, inflatable bounce houses, “bull” or barrel riding and the tractor train ride.

Radford said of the train ride, “That was a big hit last year.”

Being in a park, the event gives kids open space to roam. Radford said, “It’s a fun, safe, clean day for the kids.”

There are even more aspects to the celebration. Food will be for sale at the park. Master gardeners, bee keepers and farmers market participants also will have items there. Events such as tobacco demonstrations and corn shuckings will take place.

Radford said a popular event is the annual dignitary showdown, where local school and county officials compete in the “Dobson Derby.”

Yesterday, agents created a corn maze for the event. Radford said there are two entryways this year, so people have the opportunity to choose right from the start.

“It’s so exciting,” said Radford after cutting the maze.

Last year, around 3,000 people attended the agriculture celebration, according to Radford.

“It’s getting rather large,” she said.

The event is hosted by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and Surry County Parks and Recreation. Radford said there are also many sponsors.

She encourages families to come out and enjoy the event together.

“It’s a time that they can be together,” Radford noted. “It’s also educational ... and it gets them back to their roots.”

The purpose of the event is to show appreciation for agriculture and farmers in the county, which Radford says still play a big role in the county. Last year, agriculture generated $220 million in the county.

“I hope they get an appreciation for agriculture, that there’s more to it than just a pitchfork and overalls,” Radford remarked.

For more information about the event, call 401-8025. People do not need to register for the event.

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.