BURTON COTTON GIN FESTIVAL DRAWS THOUSANDS, DESPITE WEATHER
Crowds braved the threat of storms on Saturday to enjoy the 35th Annual Cotton Gin Festival in Burton.
Severe weather began to roll in during the afternoon, but visitors were still able to take part in the morning’s parade, shopping at vendors, historic tours and many other activities in celebration of the oldest operating cotton gin in America.
Burton Cotton Gin Museum Director Steph Jarvis says the attendance totals tallied by volunteers show there were approximately 2,832 people who attended, not counting the volunteers themselves who helped to organize the event.
Jarvis says the festival is critical for the continued preservation of the 1914 cotton gin and operation of the museum. She says it will take more than a stormy day to keep the festival from happening.
Fundraising totals are still being calculated from the festival and Friday night’s shrimp boil.
The gin was designated in 2009 as the Official Cotton Gin Museum of Texas. It has also been designated as a Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission, named by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as a National Historic Engineering Landmark, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.