Traditionally the Autry Family Reunion is held the last Sunday in May prior to Memorial Day. The celebration is held at the Jones Lake State Park.
About Jones Lake:
The state leased the federal lands and established Jones Lake State Park, the first state park for Negroes. Both Jones and Salters lakes were included in the park. The park opened to the public July 1, 1939, and “…achieved an immediate popularity which clearly demonstrated the need for outdoor recreational facilities for Negroes.” Users came from distant places such as Greensboro and Winston-Salem as well as eastern North Carolina, arriving in “…private cars, taxis, trucks, and trailers equipped with church pews. Groups of several hundred were common.” Approximately 22,000 visitors came between the park’s opening and September 17 when seasonal operations ended. Paid admissions to the bathhouse numbered 4370, and many visitors that did not pay to use the bathhouse used the lake and beach. Boats were rented a total of 710 hours, and picnicking was also a popular activity. The concession was heavily used. The Department of Conservation and Development attributed part of the success of the first season to the “…policy of employing Negro personnel”(Eighth Biennial Report, 1940). http://www.ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/jone/desc.pdf