McCoy Farm & Gardens is celebrating the ninth annual Memorial Day Picnic Monday, May 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and you are invited. Hamburgers and hot dogs cooked by members of the Signal Mountain Lions Club, barbeque from award-winning Blue Sky BBQ, along with funnel cakes, cotton candy, and kettle corn, will be available for purchase. Cheiman Tea will offer a variety of teas, coffees, and flavored lemonades.

Gates open at 11. A celebration honoring our military begins at 11:30 a.m. with presentation of the flag by a local Scout Troop. Betty Julian and Rebecca Clark will lead singing of the national anthem. Rev. Margaret Ferguson, chaplain at Alexian Village, will give the invocation, and Walden Mayor Lee Davis will extend a welcome to all. Music provided by Paul Hendricks and others will entertain on the front porch. Blacksmith demonstrations are always a crowd pleaser, and Chuck Jones will be offering kite-flying exhibitions in the apple orchard.

McCoy is very grateful to Walden’s Ridge businesses who sponsor the picnic by donating funds and goods. There is no admission charge but come prepared to shop. McCoy branded merchandise, beautiful antique china and stemware, and artwork by Emma Bell Miles are all available for purchase. Also for sale are birdhouses built by Terry Knox and Audrey Workman from poplar trees thinned on McCoy property. Proceeds support the programming, maintenance, and restoration of McCoy. Stop by the McCoy merchandise table to see these interesting items and to sign up for the newsletter or to volunteer.

The Walden’s Ridge Guild offers Mountain Mementos, with the newest featuring the Space House. They also have Signal Mountain maps by Jean Catino, daughter of Emma Bell Miles, and the book “Walden’s Ridge: The Early Years,” a history of the ridge and the Bachman/McCoy families. Enjoy visiting vendors of original art works, crafts, pottery, jewelry, cosmetics, orchids, natural products, sweet treats, and Signal Mountain swag.

Educational booths will be presented by Master Gardeners of Hamilton County, Save Signal Mountain’s Hemlocks, Walden’s Ridge Civic League, Warrior Freedom Service Dogs, Waterways, and Wreaths Across Chattanooga.

Pedestrians may enter through the 1715 Anderson Pike or Taft Highway gates. Vehicles should drive in through the 1604 Taft Highway Entrance. Parking is available in the horse ring interior gravel lot and the Puppy Patch lot.

If the glade fields along Anderson Pike are suitable for parking, attendants will be there to direct drivers. St. Augustine Catholic Church graciously shares their parking lot with McCoy on Memorial Day. Please be courteous and walk to the picnic along the paved lanes, not across the lawns. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome, but please no alcoholic beverages and no bicycles.
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Mary Catherine O’Kelley, Annette Wildman, and Anne Leonard are chairing the event with support from the Walden’s Ridge Guild. Visit www.mccoyfarmandgardens.org to see photos of previous celebrations, to volunteer to help at the picnic, and to learn more about McCoy Farm & Gardens.

The Third Annual Egg Roll at McCoy Farm & Gardens is set for Sunday, April 13, from 1-4 p.m.
An egg roll, of course, needs eggs to roll. MFG's collectible souvenir wooden eggs feature a vintage bunny design. They make very special keepsakes, since they are dated in celebration of McCoy’s third egg roll. Made at a family business located in Buckfield, Maine, the McCoy eggs are created by Wells Wood Turning, the craftsmen who make the eggs for the White House Easter festivities.

Each commemorative hardwood egg comes with an activities punch-card and is $10. The price includes opportunities to join in an egg roll contest and a spoon obstacle course, both of which require an egg to participate. Those who join in the games, and have their cards punched as they play, will receive prizes.
The Easter Bunny will greet kids of all ages and pose for pictures. Lemonade, cotton candy, and kettle corn will be for sale. Enjoy other activities such as face painting, hair painting, and a kite-flying demonstration. In the dining room, spring-themed vintage china and accessories will be set up for your silent auction bids.

Organizing and leading all the fun activities are special events co-chairs Mary Catherine O’Kelley and Annette Wildman and board member Anne Leonard. For more information, please contact the office at (423) 598-1658.

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Just for Fun
McCoy Farm & Gardens is known to welcome well-mannered dogs on leashes. Beginning at 2:30 p.m., the McCoy Mutts Easter Parade will again highlight leashed, well-behaved dogs as they stroll the driveway dressed in their best finery. This is a “non-judgmental” parade, meaning the mutts will not be judged for their appearance or costume, but will be appreciated for their flair and aplomb.

Bring your dog in costume and meet at the Carriage House at 2:20 p.m. The Mutt Parade will proceed along the driveway where everyone can celebrate the participants as they pass.

The Bachman McCoy House will be open from 1-4 p.m., and docents will be on hand to answer your questions about the history of the property. McCoy branded merchandise, Emma Bell Miles art related items, and natural-bark bluebird houses crafted by Terry Knox ​will be for sale. The birdhouses with poles for mounting are made from tulip poplars thinned from the poplar grove. All proceeds are used to support McCoy facilities and programming.

by Karen Stone