Michael Reno Harrell is not going to let a good time pass him by.

The nationally acclaimed storyteller will take a slight detour on his way to a concert in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to traverse the red clay roads of Pike County to participate in Folkmoot 200 at Lake Simmie Friday night.

A Folkmoot is a gathering and what better time for a gathering of those who have been a part of Alabama’s Official Folklife Play, “Come Home, It’s Suppertime, than during Alabama Bicentennial year, the year the state is celebrating it stories. And, who better to take center stage at Folkmoot 200 than a man who sings about, plays about and tells about those good ol’ days.

Lawrence Bowden, president of the Brundidge Historical Society, producer of “Come Home” said Michael Reno Harrell is a popular performer at the Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival and is “one of us.”

“We have shared experiences and Michael even talks like us,” Bowden said. “We are looking forward to his music and his stories as a part of Folkmoot 200. It will be an informal gathering of those who have been a part of our folklife play for 17 years.

Bowden said the play opened in 2002 with few expectations.

“We never thought that we would be still going in Alabama’s Bicentennial year,” he said. “The success of ‘Come Home’ has been its simplicity. It’s homefolks telling stories that have endured with time. We don’t have any actors in our folklife play, only storytellers. And, it’s real. The old people are old people. There’s no baby powder in our hair and the kids are kids or they were.”

Bowden said Folkmoot 200 will recognize and honor those who started the play in the fall of 2002 and those who have kept it going and are keeping it going.

“It will be good to get together and share memories, look at photographs, sing and maybe even dance,” he said. “We’ll be well entertained by Michael Reno Harrell and celebrate just being together.

“We understand there are a lot of conflicts on Friday night so we invite everyone to come and stay or come and go, either way we hope to see a lot of familiar faces at Lake Simmie Friday night.”

Lake Simmie is located three miles south of Brundidge. Turn on County Road 4423 at the red roof barn.