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The Ozark Folk Center State Park will hang dozens of historic quilts across its Craft Village on Friday, Oct. 2, reviving an old Ozark housekeeping ritual and putting pieces on display that have not been shown together in decades.
The Airing of the Quilts draws from a collection the Committee of One Hundred for the Ozark Folk Center has spent years buying and donating to the park. The quilts are kept in breathable bags in the park’s Quilt Shop, where space allows only one or two to hang at a time.
The event recreates a seasonal chore once common in the Ozark hills. Families packed quilts away in trunks or cabinets for the summer, then brought them outside each fall to hang in the sun and breeze. The sunlight helped keep pests and mold away, and the process was repeated in the spring before the quilts went back into storage in pillowcases.
Visitors can walk among the quilts, look over the stitching and learn the stories behind each piece. The display is included with regular Craft Village admission, which is $15 for adults and $8 for children 6 to 12. Children under 6 get in free.
The Craft Village is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park is at 1032 Park Ave. in Mountain View, less than a mile from the courthouse square, and can be reached by taking Highway 5/9/14 to Jimmy Driftwood Parkway.
Overnight stays are available at the park’s Cabins at Dry Creek by calling 800-264-3655. For more information on the quilt display, call 870-269-3854 or visit OzarkFolkCenter.com.
