Denton FarmPark

Newsletter

Volume 3 / June 2024

LAST MONTH…

We had a great time during the Malpass Brothers Country Music and Bluegrass Festival!

Taylor Malpass drove the bus in and decided shortly after picking up his golf cart that he wanted to help out.

By day two he was promoted and given a name badge, radio, and staff badge for his golf cart! We can honestly say that we couldn't be happier to have them as our host band for the event!

We would like to thank them for what they do and we hope to work together for many years! Happy Fathers Day to you all!

We hope everyone has a Happy Fathers Day!

Recipe of the month:

Fried Catfish

Ingredients:

FOR FISH

2 c. buttermilk

1 Tbsp. hot sauce, plus more for serving

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 lb. catfish fillets

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 lemon, sliced into wedges

FOR DREDGING

1 1/2 c. yellow cornmeal

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

-In a large bowl or Ziplock bag, combine buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Add catfish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours.

-In a large shallow bowl, whisk to combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Remove one catfish fillet from buttermilk mixture and lightly shake to remove excess buttermilk. Dredge in cornmeal mixture and place on a baking sheet or large plate. Repeat until all catfish is dredged.

-Fill a large pot or Dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil. Heat over medium until oil reaches 350°, then fry catfish in batches until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Remove to a paper towel–lined plate and season with salt immediately.

-Serve with hot sauce and lemon slices.

Enjoy!

What to expect this month

Yard Sale day– June 1st 2024: 8:00-12:00

*This is FREE to everyone entering the park looking to shop/ attend!

**Parking is also FREE

So just come on out and enjoy the Denton Yard Sale Day starting at 8am at either of Denton FarmParks entrances!

South entrance - 4259 Handy rd Denton, NC 27239

Main entrance- 1072 Cranford rd Denton, NC 27239!

The Denton Yard Sale Day was created as a way to bring together the entire community and have fun while giving the opportunity to clean out your homes and sell it at an affordable price. It allows the chance to help those who need affordable clothes and can get them at cheap yard sale prices!

We aim to stretch the yard sales from the Denton FarmPark to the town of Denton, making it a activity people will travel to come see and be apart of. We have a ways to go if we wish to achieve that dream so please tell your friends!

*Bath houses on the property will be unlocked these days for your convenience; please help us keep them as clean as possible. Also remember trash goes in Trash bins. We thank you for cleaning up after yourselves so that we can continue to have our Yard sale days.

*We are doing this event as a support for the community and not wanting to have many employees on duty so we can keep this free and cheap! So if your selling, PLEASE remember to take your items that you don't sell back home with you!

For those wanting to set up:

*** Remember its YARD SELL STUFF ONLY!

You show up at 1072 Cranford rd (main entrance) OR 4259 Handy Rd (our south Gate Entrance) at 7am that morning and it is $5 per car/truck/trailer load!

We will go ahead and announce that in the Fall the set-up price will be $10 per load (we don't wish to go any higher than that)

The price breakdown is $5 per load

($10 starting this Fall).

(meaning a unloaded truck with a loaded trailer is 1 load, a car/van with items = 1 load and a Loaded truck with a loaded trailer is 2 loads)

It is cash only, so be ready to hand the money out the window to our staff as you drive in the park. You then will enter and Set up along the road sides in the grass and use the amount of space you NEED.

It’s fun for the entire family.

The Denton FarmPark will be operating the Handy Dandy Railroad for families to enjoy. Laramie’s Cakery is located in the Gingerbread House, be sure to stop by for freshly baked goods!

General Admission: *We equip our gates with card readers; however, there are times when technology is not our friend. We have ATMs onsite should you need one.

We offer Free Parking and we are Pet Friendly (Pets MUST be kept on a leash, friendly, and you must pick up after them)

If you are interested in camping at our events then you can go to DentonFarmPark.com and on that events page you will find a red button at the bottom that will give you the camping application we need before we are able to book your request. You can also send us an email directly.

What's Next

Southeast Old Threshers’ Reunion – July 2- 6th 2024

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Jeeps on the Farm ~ August 10, 2024

Jeep Benefit Ride– August 10, 2024

VW Bug’n @ the FarmPark- August 24-25 2024

Yard Sale day- September 2nd 2024: 8:00-12:00

Carolina Pickers Antique Festival ~ September 12-14, 2024

Sunny Days Market– September 28-29, 2024

AMCA Southern National Meet ~ October 11 & 12, 2024

C10 Fall Revival – October 18 & 19 2024

Fun on the Farm ~ October 25- 26, 2024

Country Christmas Train – Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 6 – 8; Dec. 13 –15, 18- 23, 26 – 28, 2024

We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events!!

Email for questions

"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams"

Puzzles

“ your a-maze-ing!”

... Snails can have between 1,000 and 12,000 teeth.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Brooklyn!!

She will be turning 13 on June 8th, and is from Asheboro, NC!

So lets all wish a Happy Birthday to Brooklyn!

Anyone who wants to give a Birthday shout out, send us an email!

Include:

1) Name of the person, 2) Include a photo 3) Persons birthdate w/ age 4) include a short message.

Our email is linked to the Green circle with the envelope.

How long is a typical freight train?

The average freight train is about 1 to 1¼ miles in length (90 to 120 rail cars).

*When it's moving at 55 miles an hour, it can take a mile or more to stop after the locomotive engineer fully applies the emergency brake. An 8-car passenger train moving at 80 miles an hour needs about a mile to stop.

Help us restore #9!

We have raised $2,327.00 so far for #9! W#e want to thank everyone who has made a donation! Every dollar goes a long way.

Mail a donation to:

Handy Dandy Railroad, Inc.

1072 Cranford Rd. Denton, NC 27239

Give Online

New Pulling Track

The new track will be operational this year for the Southeast Old Threshers Reunion!

We are actively working on the trailer parking area behind tractor gate for the pull trailers only. Our hopes is that it will be ready for people to put their Tractor trailers there for the pulls. If not, they will just have to use the general trailer parking that we provide in front of Loflin Fabrication..

We relocated the bleachers from the horse demonstration near the tunnel and moved it over to the new track! (not photographed)

We will be allowing people to sit underneath the wooden shelter that is already over near the new track. If you have your own lawn chairs, your welcome to sit under the shelter.

The metal shelter is for golf carts to park under a shelter.

If you choose to park and walk away from your golf cart. Park your golf cart in the grass on the opposite side of the road ( Where the wheat field is) and simply walk across the rd to put your chairs down.

NOBODY CAN RESERVE OR SAVE A SPOT IN GRASS OR UNDER THE SHELTER. This is first come first serve ONLY!

In the grass we are setting "beach rules", Your Golf Carts, tent/ umbrellas will be allowed behind everyone in the grass (near the road). Then, in front of them will be for blankets and chairs ONLY!

Near the track you will see a gravel road along the wall. That is for Fire Department, EMS, and any emergency vehicle use ONLY! Please don't put a chair there, we will ask you to move back.

PULLING TEAMS- We will have a area for your tents to be set up on the opposite side of the track (like "the pits" of a race track) It will be in the same area as the weigh in and staging areas.

***REMINDER:

*This Track is NOT for joy riding on. We will treat this the same way we treat the pit.

Always remember the rule our mommas told us at a young age.... "Look, don't touch."

Alcohol is not allowed. We will have an officer on property helping us enforce the rules and looking out for our best interests, Your safety!

Please remember this is all privately owned and wish to keep a family friendly atmosphere with the public! Keep in mind, If you have alcohol you may be asked to leave the property.

Make sure you stop in the General Store and see what all we have!

Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

*Its a type of sleep called unihemispheric sleep,

where only one brain hemisphere sleeps at a time.

Malpass Brothers Article From Bluegrass Today!

Thank you so much, Sandy Hatley with Bluegrass Today, this article was beautifully put!

We are so grateful to everyone that was involved in the preparation and execution of this event.

Our staff did a wonderful job. Our volunteers were helpful and they kept positive attitudes, and the talent was extraordinary!

We know we joked about Taylor taking over the staff but his actions actually meant a lot to them all. Several have made comments about him leaving a mark and how he kept the day fun and filled with laughter by joking around!

We feel like this year, not only was it record-breaking, but was a mark of tradition for many!

Our dedication to maintaining a family friendly atmosphere and fellowship will always be important to us!

The Denton Farmpark is counting down the days until 2025 and already making plans for a spectacular event with The Malpass Brothers!

Read from Their website

2024 Denton Bluegrass Festival report

Posted on May 14, 2024 By Sandy Hatley

Cutter & Cash & Kentucky Grass at the 2024 Malpass

This past Wednesday night through Sunday morning, Denton FarmPark in central North Carolina was the place to be for great music, good fellowship, and fun times at the third annual Malpass Brothers Bluegrass & Country Music Festival over Mother’s Day weekend. The festival was originally hosted by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and the Malpass Brothers accepted the baton following Doyle’s retirement. 2024 was a record year.

Karen Loflin Miller, co-owner of the FarmPark, shared, “We had 500 campers and people from 15 states and one foreign country (Germany). Our attendance continues to grow.”

The weekend of music kicked off with an open mic featuring local bands on Wednesday evening, followed by three full days of some of the best musical acts in the business. The festival concluded on Sunday morning with a church service in the “model church” on the park grounds. Music was provided by the Malpass Brothers, their drummer’s wife Kelly Riggins, and Doug and Stacey Stuart. The sermon was delivered by Mel Winstead, pastor of Mount Moriah Baptist Church of Marshville, NC and brother of the Malpass Brothers’ former bassist, Paul Winstead.

The family-style festival exhibited examples of musical lineage both on stage and off. During Friday’s show, Kenny & Amanda Smith invited their nine-year old daughter, Annabelle, to sing America the Beautiful for all the veterans. As she sang, the entire audience stood to their feet and joined in singing to show their support.

Obviously moved by their gesture, Amanda stated, “I’ve never seen this (standing and singing along) done before. God is good. He lets us play bluegrass. Denton is the first place I played after Annabelle was born. She was four weeks old.”

Debuting on the FarmPark stage was Cutter & Cash & Kentucky Grass (formerly called Classy & Grassy). The young band featured two sets of siblings: Cutter and Cash Singleton (guitar and mandolin) and Noah & Lily Goebel (fiddle and guitar). Their hard-driving traditional bluegrass music was a huge hit with the audience.

A special treat with multiple family ties occurred during Friday night’s finale with a reunion of the Bass Mountain Boys. Mike Wilson, Mike Aldridge, Steve Dilling, Mike Street, and Johnny Ridge were joined by Aldridge’s son, Brian, on guitar and some banjo. Another Aldridge son, Nathan, had been on stage the day before, fiddling with IIIrd Tyme Out. Ridge’s daughter, Laura Tate, was on hand to photograph the iconic assemblage. Lots of other Bass Mountain Boy family members were in attendance.

Another family example was during the Malpass Brothers’ sets, three-year-old Arlen, who remained faithfully beside his dad, bassist Jake Riggins. Sometimes the child sawed on a miniature fiddle or strummed a small guitar, but often he just hugged on his father’s leg.

Deeper Shade of Blue’s Scott Burgess shared with the audience that he was married at the Denton FarmPark during the festival. Stephen Burwell, fiddler with Authentic Unlimited, reflected from stage, “This is where I met my wife. [Pointing] She was sitting right back there. Now there’s some dude sitting there!”

The performing artists played lots of requested tunes and recognized fans from the stage. During Authentic Unlimited’s second show on Saturday, Burwell fiddled an original number, Benfield Line, from their latest album, So Much For Forever, and dedicated it to a fan who was his inspiration for the title.

Stephen explained how he named the tune.

“Years and years ago, we have a friend, Harold Benfield, that would come to a lot of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver shows. He came early while we were setting up one day and offered to help tape down a cat5 cable line from front of the house to the stage. That’s where I came up with the title. It just sounded like a good name for a tune.”

There was plenty of humor, too. During the Malpass Brothers’ Friday night session, while they were singing Merle Haggard’s Motorcycle Cowboy, they had a special dancer take the stage. In his own unique garb, 82-year-old Little Roy Lewis stole the show with his crazy antics.

Saturday night’s show concluded with an extended set by beloved country music artist, Gene Watson. He ended his show with two of his biggest hits, 14-Carat Mind and Farewell Party.

The festival ran like a well-oiled machine. Superb sound was provided by John Holder of Blue Ridge Sound and his hardworking staff, Jackson Bethune and Mike Ford. MC duties were split between Sherry Boyd and Jeff Branch. Numerous vendors were on hand with concessions, instruments, crafts, and more. Springer Mountain Farms offered fresh cooked chicken samples, coupons, and daily drawings for prizes. WPAQ Radio of Mt Airy, NC, manned a booth and offered watermelon give-aways.

Plans are already underway for the fourth annual Malpass Brothers Bluegrass & Country Music Festival for Mother’s Day weekend 2025.

We are happy to have Vanessa back with us this month. We enjoy reading from our friend from South Africa!

Hoping for Jack Frost’s arrival.

By: Vanessa von Mollendorf

It has been unseasonably warm for this time of year. Our day temperatures have been stuck at 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit) and obstinately refuse to drop. I fear that I shall never see winter with its cold winds, hot chocolate and lazy days spent under a duvet ever again. My heart yearns for temperatures to plummet, warm socks, awesome books and the silence which comes with the season. Above ground the trees are finally shedding their colorful cloaks.

Below, insects are hoarding food and roots are stagnating, their inevitable drive for growth mitigated by the presumption that colder weather is on its way. I have watched weather reports like a hawk, only to be disappointed. I have stood outside at night, sending wishes upon falling stars and waving colorful banners, but Jack Frost is mute.

I am rebelling against summer’s hold over our African continent. I need her to pack her

flowery dresses and open-toed sandals and vamoose!

Winter:

When the geese are flying south

And the sky is grey,

Close your eyes and lift your nose;

Listen with your careful ears.

Feel the winter coming on...

Do you know how to pray?

Matthew 6: 6-13

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.