The 2024 Catface Turpentine Festival in Portal is set for Saturday, Oct. 5 at the historic Carter Turpentine Still. 

As has been the case from the beginning, the event will focus on learning about and celebrating turpentining. Turpentining was a natural resources-based industry that was one of Bulloch County’s economic mainstays for decades. In fact, a pine forest in Statesboro was the site of experiments by Charles Herty, which revolutionized the way pine gum (fresh tar) was extracted and collected.

After a 10 a.m. parade in downtown Portal starts the festival, activities will move to the Carter Still site for entertainment, food and vendor booths. Among the foods available will be rosin baked potatoes, something that does not sound appetizing, but actually tastes great. Bottles of spirits of turpentine, always in demand, will be available.

The spirits room of the still will house a museum feature where docents will provide historical perspective about the turpentine industry and answer questions.  

In the beginning, turpentine and rosin were produced by running a charge of gum through the Carter fire still, the main event of the day. However, raw gum has not been available in recent years, but the still itself offers insight into its operation.

Turpentine, useful for many things from paint thinner to medicine, has been a popular product for sale at the festival through the years but has become hard to find since none was produced on site by running the still. 

However, Jerry Lanigan, director of the festival, has announced that a supply has been located and purchased for this year.