Contributed by the Lee
County Historical Society
The Auburn-Opelika Men”s Camellia Club will host its annual Fall Camellia Show and Sale on Saturday, Nov.14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pioneer Park in Loachapoka. This event will be in conjunction with the regular Second Saturday in November events sponsored by the Lee County Historical Society.
The Camellia is the State Flower of Alabama, and there will be lots of potted plants of many different varieties available for sale. For the first time ever, the A-O Men”s Camellia Club will have a limited number of plants from the new Tom Corley collection of Auburn Camellias for sale.
These may include “Sweet Auburn,” “War Eagle,” “One Second,” “Rollin Toomer,” “Mary Corley,” “Aubie” and several others named for Auburn people, places and events. The show will feature spectacular blossoms from early-blooming Camellias in the Auburn-Opelika area.
At the same time of the Camellia Show and Sale, all venues and museums at Pioneer Park will be open and free for visitors. Visitors are encouraged to wear masks and keep their social distance while visiting five historic structures and six other buildings that house functions and artifacts related to the history of the Lee County area.
There are six gardens on the campus, including an heirloom Camellia garden. The Trade Center (circa 1845) houses the main museum displays while a separate building houses old farm equipment.
During the day on every Second Saturday at Pioneer Park, volunteers conduct demonstrations and workshops that may include blacksmithing, spinning and weaving, basketmaking, outdoor cooking or gardening.
Volunteers prepare a lunch similar to what would have been served on a 19th Century Alabama homestead. Recently, the Trade Center Museum Store has been stocked with homemade jams, jellies and preserves made from local produce.
Pioneer Park and Second Saturdays are hosted by volunteers of the Lee County Historical Society, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to historical preservation, presentation and education. More information can be found at www.leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/.