A celebration of yesteryear, the Noland Village Country Fair Day at Providence returns this year after a seven-year hiatus.
The event is set for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“It’s just a fun time,” said Carolyn Slayton, who lives in the Historic Noland Village in northern Halifax County. “It takes you back to a quieter and less hectic time of life when people weren’t going 90 miles an hour.”
Brunswick stew, hot dogs and homemade desserts will be available at the event. A Gospel group, “Glory Bound Band,” will provide the entertainment.
Antique cars, tractors and farm machinery traditionally are part of the country fair day. They will be welcomed this year along with vendors and informational booths at no charge, but donations for the historic Old Providence (Halifax) Presbyterian Church are requested. All proceeds from the Noland Village Country Fair Day at Providence will go to the Blanks Memorial Foundation which maintains the upkeep of the historic church.
This year’s Noland Village Country Fair Day will be on a smaller scale than past years’ fairs, with event coordinators treading water in bringing back an event that at one time was a tradition in the community.
“We had it for 27 years. Some people come every year,” Slayton shared. “The last one we had was seven years ago. It rained us out for two straight years and then COVID hit.”
Along with enjoying homecooked food and homegrown Gospel music and viewing antique machinery, folks attending the Noland Village Country Fair Day will have the experience of stepping back in time as they tour the historic Presbyterian Church, the Noland Post Office and restored houses in the Historic Noland Village.
“It’s a recreated 19th century village,” Slayton explained. “Original to the site is the Halifax Church, which started in 1830. It was the first Presbyterian Church in Halifax County. The post office also is original to the area. It served as the post office for the area until the 1920s, when the post office was moved to Lennig. Other buildings were moved here and recreated.”
Other buildings comprising the Historic Noland Village are a four-story tavern, Prospect Ordinary; the Afton Farmhouse, Slayton’s great-great grandfather’s house, the Robert Carr House; the John Carr House, the Blanks-Irby House, the Hatcher Barn representing the original Noland Prize Barn used for the processing of tobacco from area farmers; and Slayton’s current home, a double log cabin known as the Baldwin House. Slayton related that her uncle Roy Blanks was an antiques dealer and it was his idea to recreate the village.
The Noland Village Country Fair Day helps fund the preservation of the Old Providence (Halifax) Church which is important to Slayton because of her family’s roots in the property. The church is on land that once belonged to her grandfather. Slayton related that in 1981, her family began the restoration of the church in memory of her grandparents.
These days, two services a year are held in the church, and the church is sometimes used for weddings. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
For Slayton, the Historic Noland Village is a special place that she invites visitors to come experience with her during the Noland Village Country Fair Day this weekend.
Historic Noland Village is located at the intersection of Cole’s Ferry and Morton’s Ferry Roads. For those relying on GPS, the address is 5021 Mortons Ferry Road, Nathalie, VA 24577.
