With the Autumn Leaves Festival as a backdrop, history buffs and festival attendees gathered in the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History courtyard Sunday afternoon to hear Billy Yeargin deliver a lecture about tobacco and American culture.

Yeargin, a professor with extensive knowledge of the history of the tobacco industry, was the guest speaker for the October “History Talks” program at the museum. He spoke at 2 p.m. on Sunday about tobacco’s impact on Amerian society over the years.

Though the event was originally scheduled to be held inside the museum, organizers decided to move it outside to the courtyard where many festival-goers sat throughout the weekend to eat and socialize. Some people who visited the courtyard on Sunday were surprised to find that a lecture was taking place there, and they stopped to listen while they ate festival treats. Others came specifically to hear the presentation.

The trial run of programming for kids at the Museum Annex during the Autumn Leaves Festival on Saturday proved more than successful, as hundreds of people passed through the doors.

Matt Edwards, executive director for the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, said early Saturday afternoon, “It’s been great so far.”

The museum partnered with CenturyLink and Rainbow Child Care Center to host “Kids Patch” at the Museum Annex to correspond with the Autumn Leaves Festival on Saturday. The Kids Patch featured a free kids zone where they could make arts and crafts and enjoy a play area, which included mats, tunnels, tricycles, hoops and more.

A highlight of the Kids Patch was two programs, offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., by renowned herpetologist and wildlife adventurer Roark Ferguson.

As the leaves change from green to hues to golds, reds and orange, this weekend’s Mount Airy’s Annual Autumn Leaves Festival, a mainstay event in the region for more than 40 years, will feature art, crafts, music, food and fun.

In addition to the regularly schedule Autumn Leaves activities, the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History is offering a full palate of activities during the weekend. On both Friday and Saturday, the museum will host a dozen regional authors for book signings in the Museum Gift Shop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

On both Friday and Saturday evenings, the museum will be concluding its summer long Toast and Jam concert series with performance is by local bluesman Reggie Johnson and Carolina Nights at 6 p.m. Wine for both events will be provided by Old North State Winery.