It has been 52 years since Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College hosted an event called Dealer Days on its campus in 1964. At that time, no one could have guessed that the farm equipment show would grow into the annual Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition set for Oct. 18-20 at Spence Field near Moultrie.
The Expo moved to its present site in 1978, and Spence Field is about to come alive again with the sounds of tractors and harvesters and the smell of sawdust and grilled hamburgers. Ironically, ABAC once held classes at Spence Field for American soldiers returning to South Georgia after World War II.
At this year’s Expo, Lindsey Roberts, director of marketing and communications at ABAC, said visitors will get to look at five different segments of ABAC life at the recently remodeled ABAC venue. The building includes a front porch with rocking chairs and a statue of the Golden Stallion college mascot. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators from ABAC will be on hand to greet visitors as they enter the exhibit, and interactive games will allow guests to learn more about the college.
ABAC alumni can discover their role with the Alumni Association and its many activities, including Homecoming 2017. Copies of ABAC yearbooks will be available so that alumni can walk through the pages of days gone by. Prospective ABAC students can get a taste of ABAC through displays, brochures, and conversations with existing ABAC students who are more than willing to share their love for the campus in Tifton. Musically-gifted ABAC students will also offer some entertainment options for Expo visitors.
The Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village became a part of the ABAC campus in 2010 and now occupies a special part of the ABAC building at Expo. Museum interpreters will showcase blacksmithing, new Ag and Natural Resources educational programming, and the Rolling Store at the ABAC building.
ABAC souvenirs including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and caps will be available for Expo-goers, both young and old. For more information, interested persons can visit the ABAC web site at abac.edu.
Source: https://www.abac.edu/
