By LISA NICELY

nicely@crescent-news.com

PAULDING -- Fall is in the air and that means it's time for the Paulding County Flat Rock Creek Festival.

The festival will be held next weekend at the Paulding County Fairgrounds featuring a variety of demonstrations, food and more.

According to organizers, the festival has a family-oriented atmosphere.

Among highlights are antique gas and steam engines, antique scooters, high-wheel bicycles, antique tractors and draft horse hitch rides. Demonstrations will be given on apple butter making, broom making, blacksmithing, cider making, carving, pottery and caramel corn making.

Speaking of caramel corn, there will be a lot of food to satisfy everyone's taste buds. Among the food served daily will be apple dumplings, cider, corn on the cob and kettle soup. A fruit market also will be available.

Entertainment throughout the three-day festival is planned.

Appearing all three days will be Famious Williams, "Mayberry Revisited," Mr. Bojangles, Harmonica John and Nancy and Spittin' Image. Several other entertainers will perform each day of the festival.

Two new entertainers this year are the Brenner and Mingo show on Saturday and the Detroit Fiddlers on Sunday.

For individuals who like to shop, a large flea market with antiques and crafts will be featured. Organizers say the flea market is full of vendors who have a variety of wares available.

Admission to the Flat Rock Creek Festival is $3 each day, with children age 12 and younger admitted free. A three-day pass is available for $7.

Things get off to an early start Friday with the Paulding County Firefighters Association's pancake and sausage breakfast from 7-11 a.m. The breakfast will be held each day of the festival at the same time.

Opening ceremonies with a flag raising will take place at 10 a.m.

A variety of entertainment is planned.

The Hurdy Gurdy Band will perform from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., with a tractor pull slated at 6 p.m. The pull features antique, open class and modified tractors from 1959 and older. Weigh-in is at 4 p.m.

A pork chop supper sponsored by the Knights of Columbus is slated for 4-6 p.m.

Entertainment continues from 7-11 p.m. with a polka and square dance while Spike and the Bulldogs will entertain the crowd from 8:30-10 p.m.

On Saturday, gates open at 9 a.m. Highlights of events include an antique tractor pull and Longaberger basket auction.

Weigh-in for the antique tractor pull will be at 8 a.m., with the event revving up at 10 a.m. Also at 10 a.m. will be the Longaberger basket auction at the extension office.

Entertainment also kicks off at 10 a.m. with a performance by the dulcimer group, Wesley Linenkugal Band. The band will be performing throughout the festival until 6 p.m.

The Brenner and Mingo show will be on stage at 5 and 7:30 p.m. The show has been performed in places such as Branson, Mo., and Las Vegas and is now coming to Paulding for the festival.

For those who are hungry during the day, there will be plenty to eat Saturday.

The Knights of Columbus chicken barbecue will be held from 12-5 p.m., and the First Christian Church will hold its hog roast at 5 p.m.

The last day of the festival gets underway at 9 a.m. Sunday with a vintage and classic truck show. For more information on the show, call 419-399-5462 or 419-594-2287.

At 10 a.m. a nondenominational church service will be held in the extension building. That will be followed by a beef and noodle dinner sponsored by St. Joseph's Catholic Church from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

The world championship 3,300-pound lightweight horse pull spectacular will be held at 12 p.m. This is the Michigan Dynamometer Association's largest purse. The heavyweight division with follow the lightweight pull.

Closing out the activities will be a performance by the Detroit Fiddler's. The group includes 35 fiddlers who have performed all over the nation, including the White House, Kennedy Center and the Presidential Inaugural Ball in 2001, event organizers said. The group has performed more than 1,000 shows across the United States and in several foreign countries.

If individuals would like to spend all three days at the festival, nonelectrical and self-contained camping spots are still available. For more information on camping, call 419-399-4453.