Local folk crafts tend to have good stories behind them – stories that tell the history of the people and communities of this region. The traveling quilt of Mountain Park is no exception.

The “traveling quilt,” as it has been called, is a project that the Willing Workers of Mountain Park United Methodist Church undertake each year for Mountain Park's Fourth of July celebration. The Willing Workers, the church's women's group, sit down together to hand-knit a quilt, which is then raffled at the annual July Fourth festivities.

Traditions, however, have a tendency to change over time, but the lure behind them grows.

This year, the traveling quilt is not a quilt at all, but rather a bed set that was donated by one of the members of the Willing Workers. According to group member Linda Jennings, this year's “quilt” is “not what we've done in the past.”

Even though the finished product the Willing Workers is donating is changing, the spirit behind it remains the same.

“What we do is geared toward the needs of the community or church,” said Jennings.

For Jennings, her church group's contribution to the Fourth of July raffle is not only a tradition, but a way of giving back to the Mountain Park community.

Proceeds from the raffle benefit the Mountain Park UMC Willing Workers. The group uses the money from the raffle to fund its church- and community-based initiatives throughout the year.

The Willing Workers' traveling quilt and the Mountain Park Fourth of July Festival have both been a part of the community for many years. The first traveling quilt was raffled away at the inaugural Mountain Park Fourth of July celebration in the 1970s. The tradition of the quilt raffle has gone uninterrupted since it began, and this year will be no different.

This year will mark the 39th annual Fourth of July Festival in Mountain Park. The winner of the traveling quilt raffle will be named at 7 p.m., leaving plenty of time for festival goers to find the perfect spot to watch the crowd-favorite fireworks show, which begins at 9:30 p.m.

For those who can't wait until the fireworks light up the sky, Mountain Park's July Fourth celebration will kick-off with a parade at 10 a.m.

Also, take note not to arrive a day late – this year's Independence Day Festival will be held a day before early, on Saturday, July 3.

This year, while out enjoying the annual July Fourth events at Mountain Park, take time to admire the hard work of the Willing Workers and join the folklore of the traveling quilt by donating to the raffle.

“I think our church is very community-oriented and whatever builds up the community is what we're for – but the entire July Fourth celebration is for that,” said Jennings.