Unique tastes and one-of-a-kind arts at Prater’s Mill

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Pam Piercy buys a plate of Bayou Fries from Haley Leonhardt Saturday at Prater's Mill. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen
Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen
David Forrester paddles a canoe with his daughter Isabella, 3, and his mother, Mamie Forrester, right, Saturday at Prater's Mill. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen
Blacksmith Hugh Bowie heats up a piece of metal Saturday at Prater's Mill. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen

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October 14, 2012

Unique tastes and one-of-a-kind arts at Prater’s Mill

Charles Oliver charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com The Dalton Daily Citizen Sun Oct 14, 2012, 09:04 AM EDT

Sawdust swirled around Jasper King as his chain saw cut into a piece of wood held by a vise. Gradually, the wood looked less like a log and more like the bowl it will eventually become.

“I make a lot of bowls. I’ve made turtles, a few raccoons, whales, long-neck geese, just whatever I can think of,” said King, a resident of Sewannee, Tenn.

King was one of dozens of craftsmen selling his wares Saturday at the annual Prater’s Mill Country Fair. And he was one of several who demonstrate his craft.

Kyle Turner, 5, from Rossville, watched eagerly as King’s chain saw cut through a log.

“He’s at that age where he’s starting to get interested in power tools and cars and things like this. As soon as he saw this, he started pulling me over here to watch,” said Kyle’s mother Melissa.

King said he has been coming to Prater’s Mill to sell his chain saw sculptures.

“I started coming here with my dad. I learned how to do this from watching him. He did it for 43 years before he passed away,” King said.

Asked how long it takes him to finish a sculpture, King laughed.

“If I ever started timing myself, I’d probably give up. I just work on one until I get tired of it, then work on another and come back when I feel like it,” King said.

King wasn’t the only Tennesseean at Prater’s Mill Saturday.

Carolyn Hendrix, from Tallassee, was selling muscadine juice.

Hendrix says that many Southerners are familiar with muscadines and muscadine wine but many outside the South are getting a taste for muscadine juice.

“You’ve got people like Dr. Oz talking about the health benefits of muscadines, and muscadine juice is a really tasty alternative to eating muscadines for those who don’t like the tough skins and seeds,” she said.

John Daltrey, from Calhoun, had just tried a sample.

“I used to pick muscadines all the time and eat them when I was a kid. But I haven’t had them in years,” he said. “This is very good.”

Nearby, Bertin Kurtz, of Cleveland, was starting to grill some sausages. His Taste of New Orleans has been a favorite at the Prater’s Mill fair for a decade.

“I was a 45-year resident. I moved to Cleveland in 1995 and started a catering business about 10 years ago,” he said.

Kurtz serves traditional New Orleans favorites such as jambalaya and red beans and rice.

What’s the first thing that people who haven’t tried New Orleans food ask him?

“Is it spicy? I tell them ‘No, it’s well seasoned,’” he said. “There’s difference. I’ve got hot sauce if they want spicy. New Orleans food is layered. It’s not just one seasoning. It’s not just onion. It’s onion. And it’s garlic, and there’s some parsley in there. Every bite is different taste.”

And what’s the second question people ask?

“Is the alligator sausage real alligator? Yes, it is. I have it flown up from New Orleans,” he said.

Kurtz said that he goes to several festivals and fairs each year and Prater’s Mill is one of the best.

“This is a great location, and the people who run the fair are outstanding. Everyone sees the vendors, but not everyone sees all the volunteers who make this happen,” he said. “They work before the fair, during the fair and even after the fair, cleaning things up. They deserve a pat on the back.”

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Unique tastes and one-of-a-kind arts at Prater’s Mill

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