Butter Churnin’ Syrup Soppin’ Saturday at museum

Published 8:58 pm Tuesday, May 10, 2011

It’s Butter Churnin’ Syrup Soppin’ Saturday time at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama.

The churnin’ will start around 10 a.m. Saturday and dash right along until around 4 p.m. The first biscuits will come out of the oven around 11 a.m. and then the syrup soppin’ will begin.

Butter Churnin’ Syrup Soppin’ Saturday is one of the Pioneer Museum’s most popular events. Not only do visitors to the museum get a sample plate of biscuits, fresh butter, syrup and sausage, they also get to “make butter.”

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“Everyone seems to really enjoy churning, as long as they don’t have to churn too long,” said Kari Barley, museum acting director. “And kids of all ages like the pokey biscuits. That’s where they poke a hole in their biscuit with their thumb and fill the hole with syrup.”

Pokey biscuits are just the start of the fun of Butter Churnin’ Syrup Soppin’ Saturday.

“We’ll have horse-drawn wagon rides and train rides,” Barley said. “There will be a lot of games for the kids and horseshoes and checkers for the adults. The Pioneer Quilters will be quilting and Shirley Blankenship and Ron Case will be working the museum’s 100-year-old loom. We’ll also have a blacksmith group at the forge.”

All of the buildings on the museum grounds will be open with biscuits baking in both the Reunion and Demonstration cabins.

The smokehouse will be a favorite gathering place because it’s hard not to be drawn in by the aroma of smoking sausage. The sausage that are smoked on site will be sold at the gift shop as long as they last.

Entertainment will be by the Benton Brothers and Calvin Bodiford and the Strings.

“For those who would like bring a picnic lunch along, the picnic area will be open or you can spread a blanket under the trees,” Barley said. “The museum gift shop has a variety of soft drinks.”

Admission to Butter Churnin’ Syrup Soppin’ Saturday is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and military, $4 for ages 5 through 18 and free for children under five.

The admission includes a tour of the museum and all the buildings on the grounds and a sample plate of biscuits, syrup and sausage. Extra plates may be purchased.