Deep Winter Blues
Hagood Mill Historic Site
February 18, 2023
10 am – 4 pm
Saturday, February 18th as the Hagood Mill presents “Deep
Winter Blues”. The site is open 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.
Upcountry South Carolina is a historical Mecca for the Blues. Throughout
the 1920s and 1930s
the streets of Laurens County, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson
reverberated with the music of bluesmen/street- preachers as they were
strolling with their tin cups extended. Many of these musicians became
famous on the streets of New York City in the folk revival of the 50s and
60s. It is this tradition that is celebrated each February at the Hagood
Mill Historic Site.
The Hagood Mill is proud to present this year’s headliner – Wanda Johnson
. A natural-born singer who was brought up singing in church, Wanda
Johnson’s voice has been compared to the likes of Mahalia Jackson and Etta
James. Known for her sultry voice and clever songwriting, Wanda has taken
her music to many well-known festivals, including the Chicago Blues Festival (Illinois-USA), *Poconos Blues Festival *(Pennsylvania-USA), Cognac Blues Festival (France) and the Eutin Blues Fest (Germany). Her
original songs have been used in independent films, television shows, and
in commercial ads. Hagood Mill Historic Site is proud to have Wanda
Johnson perform at this year’s Deep Winter Blues, accompanied by Tico
Manley on Lead Guitar from Seneca, SC, and from Greenville, SC, Joe Jones
on Bass Guitar, and Tez Sherard on Drums.
This year’s lineup also features* Freddie Vanderford, Steve McGaha, Kym
MacKinnon, and Jason Wayne Norris.* Both Freddie Vanderford and Steve
McGaha are Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award winning bluesmen. Freddie
is a Piedmont Blues harmonica master and Steve is a traditional musician
who can play a variety of instruments. Jason Wayne Norris is a SC native
raised to appreciate all music but honors a deep connection with the blues.
Musical performances run from 11am – 4pm.
Hear the old music that made upstate South Carolina a famous “roots
environment” for the
Piedmont Blues…some tunes primitive in nature and others coming from the
sweet soul of the
South Carolina bluesmen of long ago.
There will be lots of other things to see on February 18th as Hagood Mill
hosts a variety of folklife and traditional-arts demonstrations. The Mill
will be running, and the grits will be grinding. Living history
demonstrators will be set up at various locations around the site.
Visitors are welcome to ask our artists and demonstrators questions to
learn more about their particular skills or area of interest, and don’t
forget to bring a little extra spending money so you can purchase a
traditional arts treasure of your own.
There will be an artisan market with a cherry-picked selection of local and
regional artisans, so don’t forget to bring your special Valentine to this
event to shop for unique, handcrafted gifts. There will be kids’ activities
as well!
The Heritage Pavilion is enclosed with tarps to keep the wind out and the
event space will be heated with propane heaters. As always, we encourage
visitors to bring their own chairs and don’t forget to bundle up if it’s
cold outside.
The centerpiece of the Hagood Mill Historic Site is the water-powered 1845
gristmill. It is one of the finest examples of nineteenth-century
technology in the Upcountry and operates just as it has for the last
century and a half. The mill will be running throughout the day. In the old
mill, fresh stone-ground cornmeal, grits, and wheat flour will be
available. In addition, rye flour, Basmati rice flour, oat flour, oatmeal,
popping cornmeal and grits, organic yellow cornmeal and grits, and
buckwheat flour are produced and may be available. Hagood Mill cookbooks
and a variety of other mill-related items are also available in the Mill
Mercantile.
There promises to be lots to do and lots of fun! Admission is $5.00 per
person and children 9 and under are free. There is no parking fee.
Admission includes entrance to the Hagood Mill Historic Site, including the
Heritage Pavilion and the South Carolina Petroglyph Site. All proceeds from
admission help offset the costs at Hagood Mill.
Simpell Sammie’s Food Truck will be onsite serving a variety of yummy subs
and sandwiches .
The Hagood Mill Historic Site is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00
a.m. until 4:00 p.m. year-round. The Mill operates, rain or shine, on the
third Saturday of every month.
The Hagood Mill Historic Site, the South Carolina Petroglyph Site and the
Heritage Pavilion are located 3 miles north of Main Street Pickens off
Highway 178 W or 5 ½ miles south of Cherokee Foothills Scenic Hwy 11 just
off Highway 178 E at 138 Hagood Mill Road.
For additional information regarding the performance schedule please
contact Hagood Mill at (864) 898-2936, visit us on Facebook
@HagoodMillFoundation, or go to
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.HagoodMillFoundation.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR04UHPXhV-l3ofNW3IpVuhhf-djTmw2ySiOBkAfUEvI5L84A9NhM5DNVVA&h=AT1yflEwzEF55IAoYKfPbzClGCaOBO8CTbHjzuPDQGtLqHz-eHUMH8Bl-8YXyKC-AkGNhGt84lf9s7Cy_yGnmUVfWePwzuv3qXLznVFldURylf2Y_iU9KBxwF3GXXBBa7uDZWMXrUq2lHOVgiQ
http://www.HagoodMillHistoricSite.com http://www.hagoodmillhistoricsite.com/
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