In rural North Carolina, “hollerin’” was more than shouting: farmers once used loud, distinctive calls to communicate with neighbors or animals across fields before telephones became widespread.

Spivey’s Corner held its first National Hollerin’ Contest on June 28, 1969. The event drew thousands of visitors, preserved a local tradition and raised money for volunteer firefighters. Organizers suspended the long-running contest in 2016.

Historical source: North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Additional context: WUNC public radio.

I made a short illustrated video on this curious festival for GM Fora de Pauta. The narration is in Brazilian Portuguese, and the scenes and thumbnail are AI-assisted reconstructions, not archival images.

Watch the illustrated episode (Portuguese audio)

Had you ever heard of a traditional way of calling across long distances being preserved as a competition?