Shining On
n Oak Park
BY MICHEAL NANCY EDGE
Using 21st Century technology, Oak Park
historians uncover lost records in order to
pursue funding that would help revitalize
the town and the Old School House.
Oak Park is a former railroad town with a rich
history that, at times, has been overshadowed by
tax and legal issues. It's been decades since the
town received any media attention, but now the
community is working to change that by uncovering its roots
through the use of 21st Century tools and an annual festival.
The Oak Park Moonshine Festival has been held at the Oak
Park School House for the past eight years. The festival is hosted
by a community group (called the Shiners) as a fundraising
event to support the renovation of the property. What began
as a grassroots effort of concerned local citizens has become a
cultural heritage celebration of the rural southern moonshining
community with partners from many sectors. The 2019 event
held last September featured a concert by Craig Campbell, local
performance artists, a car show with more than 100 entries, and
40 vendors.
The festival also included the first ever 5K run held in honor
of Mick Lindsey, an Oak Park native and son of the current
mayor. Because September is Childhood Cancer Awareness
month, the town became a sea of gold to honor Mick who was
not able to overcome his battle with cancer over a decade ago. It
was also a reminder of another child battling the disease: Carson
Akins, great-grandson of Oak Park resident Rev. Homer A.
Aspray, Jr. (who occupied what was formerly Ide’s Café).
92 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE