♪ With a banjo on my knee ♪ - I told you there were singing chickens here.

You know, autumn is the perfect season for outdoor festivals, and there's one in Bear Grass, a small community in Martin County, where they celebrate chicken mull.

We sent Seraphim Smith to check it out.

♪ Sing this song, do that ♪ [cheerful music] - [Seraphim] When the morning air gets crisp and the leaves begin to turn colored in Eastern North Carolina, the sweet little town of Bear Grass, the laden and snowy blooms of cotton holds a huge down-home style celebration, the Chicken Mull Festival.

But what is chicken mull?

- Chicken mull is dish that is really very unique to us.

- Chicken mull was something that came out of necessity, came out of Depression Era.

- Probably originally started because it was a way to really make a lot for a little amount of money.

- [Seraphim] The cooking of chicken mull actually happens the day before, at the Fire and Rescue station of Bear Grass.

It's there that firefighters cook off 730 pounds of chicken thighs.

[cheerful music] Soon after, this small town of 89 people get together to carefully pull all the meat off the bones.

[rooster crowing] Early the next morning, it's festival time, and the firefighters gather at the back of the community house to finish the chicken mull preparations, all 160 gallons of it.

- When I growed up and come up on chicken mull, it was just crackers, chicken, and chicken stock.

That's pretty much, and then everybody's got their way.

They wanna add things to it.

You know, boiled eggs, some put corn in it.

The way we growed up in Bear Grass here was just chicken and crackers.

- [Seraphim] In fact, today's chicken mull will use 80 boxes of crushed saltines.

- Some put, you know, Cajun seasoning or crushed red peppers also in it, to just give it color.

It's all in what you want.

- My grandfather, Samson Hodges, he lived here in Bear Grass.

He taught a lot of the people in the community how to make chicken mull.

It was a meal of necessity.

Came outta Depression Era times, so it was using what you had to make do, and he could feed a large group for very little money.

He had the big pots.

I grew up sitting in the truck watching him at Ruritan Club sales, and it was basically a large washtub-sized tub that all the farms had.

- In the old days, when tobacco was being wood fired, the person had to tend the fires all night to keep it at a steady temperature.

And so they would put a little pot on, cast iron pot, put a chicken in it, and start cooking it.

And then they would start adding crackers, and then people in the neighborhood would go and sit with that person that was tending the fires.

And so every time somebody else came, they threw a few more crackers in the pot and added a little more chicken.

And it just, you know, was a social event, so to speak, even though you were working.

- [Seraphim] The mull taste a lot like chicken pastry.

[cheerful music] - Hmm.

This is so yummy.

[cheerful music continues] - I'm all about some local flavor and trying new foods.

Let's check out what other culinary creations can be found at today's fair.

This is a collared sandwich made with lacy cornbread.

[cheerful music continues] The sausage is made just down the road.

When you come to the Chicken Mull Festival, be sure to stop by at the Boy Scouts tent and get yourself a sausage dog.

[cheerful music continues] The bluegrass, or should I say, Bear Grass music, will be sure to get you in the festival spirit.

[upbeat music] Kids will love the inflatables and all the other activities geared to entertain them.

This is a wonderful family-centric festival.

- [Visitor] Oh, yeah.

- [Seraphim] Be sure to stop by and see the petting zoo.

And don't worry, this fella isn't going into the chicken mull.

- Good to see everybody out today for our fourth annual Youth Poultry Show.

We have Miss Susan Tyre.

So we got a fantastic judge here today, young ladies here to show their roosters.

[cheerful music] - About how many people come to this chicken festival every year?

- Well, we've had mostly around 5,000 each year.

I think today might be exceeding that.

- [Seraphim] Seems like it.

- Yeah, today I think we've had an exceptional crowds.

- Thank you so much for having us to your Chicken Mull festival.

We have had a fabulous time.

- Let me tell you, we are so happy that you're here.

We are always excited when PBS shows up.

We are.

- [Seraphim] Bear Grass is brimming over with small-town charm.

And while the town is known for chicken mull, it's the wonderful people that will have you coming back for seconds.

[cheerful music] - [Deborah] The Chicken Mull Festival is Saturday, October 26th in downtown Bear Grass.

That's in Martin County.

For more details, visit their website at chickenmullfestival.com.