Broom Making Workshop

Chelsea Townsend is teaching a broom-making workshop at the Five Points Community Garden on Sunday, October 25, from 12 PM to 2 PM. You'll spend the afternoon crafting a functional 'turkey wing' style hand whisk out of natural broom corn, using simple tools and traditional Appalachian techniques. It's a hands-on session, and you'll walk away with a broom you actually made yourself.

The workshop has a bit of local history tied to it. The garden sits on the same plot of land where Hodges Broom Works operated more than a century ago, so the whole thing is held in honor of that old business. If you look toward the back of the garden, you can see actual broom corn growing right there, which is the same material you'll be working with.

It's a free workshop, and all supplies are included, so you don't need to bring anything but yourself. One practical tip: the organizers suggest wearing long sleeves if you have grass allergies, since you'll be working outdoors in the garden. The session runs from 12 PM to 2 PM on Sunday, October 25, at the Five Points Community Garden, 203 Forsyth St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303.