Fourth-grade students in Carroll and surrounding counties will get a chance to learn more about their agricultural roots next month from a three-day event at the Carroll County Ag Center.

The 17th annual Ag Heritage Days, set for Oct. 18-20, is an educational program designed to give students an up-close look at agriculture from the past.

The tour of rural life in Carroll County and Georgia is planned and organized by the UGA Extension Office of Carroll County, and will highlight ways of life in the days of pioneers and local agricultural heritage.

“We really want these students to learn what it meant to live back then,” said Paula Burke, Carroll County extension coordinator. “We will have several different types of old machinery, quilting exhibits, presentations on agricultural techniques, and a whole lot of other activities.”

Only the fourth-graders will visit the Ag Center on Oct. 18-19, but the event is open to the general public on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. The event is free to the general public.

“This is when moms and dads get a chance to see what their kids saw earlier in the week,” Burke said. “And it’s open to all ages to experience pretty much what the fourth-graders experienced.”

Burke said the exhibits seen will “nest right in” with the fourth-graders’ curriculum in the classroom.

“They’ll be seeing some of the things they’re learning about in their social studies classes, which we think is important,” she said.

Burke said the event is also important for students to learn about what is normally taken for granted.

“They’ll see someone who will tell them how to make soap, which is something they’ve probably never heard about before,” she said. “Nowadays, we just buy it at the grocery store, but that’s not how it was back then. It gives students perspective on how we’ve changed and how we’ve evolved, and allows them to see the things we take for granted.”

Burke said 10 schools in Carroll and surrounding counties have signed up for the event so far, but if any other schools are interested in registering, they should do so as soon as possible, as space is limited. Burke said more than 1,600 students are expected to attend the event.

The indoor and outdoor exhibit areas will have demonstrations, reenactments, display areas, walking trails and a tour of an historic homestead and schoolhouse.

Those wishing to attend the open house on Saturday do not need to pre-register.

The events will be held at 900 Newnan Road in Carrollton, at the Carroll County Ag Center. Contact the Carroll County UGA Extension office at 770-836-8546 for more information.