Special to the Opelika Observer

On Sept. 8, the monthly “Second Saturday” will be held at Pioneer Park. Children’s activities will begin at 9:30 am. Robert Elliott will have many fun outdoor games for the children.
Remember playing “may I,” “red light,” “rock school,” “marbles” and “hop scotch.” This is what kids did before cell phones and computer games. Parents can join in, too. Also, other activities will be available for the children in the Trade Center Museum.
Visitors are asked to bring their own picnic basket or enjoy the hot dogs and snacks from the Cook House. Parents may bring a blanket for spreading under the pecan trees or folding chairs to use as they watch the fun or join in.
Come early and meet at 9 a.m. for a garden “walk ‘n talk” with Dr. Charles Mitchell.
Learn about pioneer life on a rural, East Alabama farm in the 1800s and the crops that these early settlers grew to survive.
On the second saturday of each month, Pioneer Park is free and open to the public.
Blacksmiths will be working at the forge, spinners and weavers are upstairs in the Trade Center Museum and someone is always cooking up a meal in the Cook House or outdoors. The Whistle Stop Players gather to play dulcimers at 1 pm. There’s an informal group that meets in the morning to work on their baskets, “The Basket Cases.”
What a great opportunity for Lee County Historical Society members and visitors to enjoy Pioneer Park. If anyone has a skill to demonstrate or would like to help out on Second Saturdays, just show up and join the fun.
People are invited to dress in 19th century attire. Second Saturdays are like a mini-Pioneer Day throughout the year. Pioneer Park is sponsored by the Lee County Historical Society, an all- volunteer, nonprofit organization founded in 1968 and dedicated to the preservation and presentation of local history. For more information, visit www.leecountyhistoricalsociety.org.