On Oct. 22, 2011, Loachapoka, Ala., grew almost ten times in population size as it held the 40th annual Syrup Sopping Day and Historical Fair. Located four miles outside of Auburn, Loachapoka is the home to an estimated 135 people on an ordinary day.


The sides of Highway 14 were lined with parked cars, pepper juice stands and church fundraising booths leading up to the festival. Once downtown, one side of the road housed the fair and the other the traditional syrup sop.

President of the Lee County Historical Society Jeanette Frandsen is from Alva, Fla., but she has lived in Lee County for 50 years and attended the festival for more years than she can remember.

“Alexander Nunn and some of his friends started our group in 1968 when they purchased the red building we have here, and then, we have grown from there,” Frandsen said. “The buildings have been developed, and we now have seven buildings, I believe.”

This year’s fair featured weaving and cloth-making demonstrations, musical entertainment, garden tours, soap making, pioneer cooking and craft making.

Lan Lipscomb, member and one-year board member for the Lee County Historical Society, said that the fair brings in new members yearly.

“The memberships are very important, a lot of them just volunteer their time, because this is very much a volunteer-run operation,” Lipscomb said. “There is very little we can afford to pay for somebody to do if we can’t do it.”

The society also hosts a demonstration and activity on the second Saturday of every month.

“We have a variety of activities. We do especially invite the public every second Saturday we have some kind of program and open everything up to the public, so it’s kind of a mini fair,” Frandsen said.  “You can go to the forge and see the blacksmith working, you can go upstairs and see the weavers working, and you can, usually in our cabin over here we have pioneer cooking. A different activity is featured every month.”

At the upcoming Second Saturday on Nov.12, 2011, the society will bring in Lee County authors for a book signing from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a dedication of the Rosenwald School Marker at 1 p.m.

For more information on the historical fair and Second Saturdays, call the society at 334-887-3007, email them at lchs1968@hotmail.com or visit the society’s website at www.leecountyhistoricalsociety.org.