Frontier living and conservation the highlight of Ohio Heritage Days
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The ways of yesteryear will come to life for visitors of the 45th annual Ohio Heritage Days Festival at Malabar Farm State Park.
The free event runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24-25), according to Matt Rogers, the park's director.
"It's very informative," Rogers said of the weekend of education and entertainment.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources lists Heritage Days as one of Ohio's largest free outdoor craft and living-history festivals.
Guests are encouraged to bring cash, since not all of the artisans and vendors accept digital payment.
The festival is held at the former farm of author Louis Bromfield, 4050 Bromfield Road in Lucas.
Artisanal crafts for sale during festival
Newcomers to Bromfield's farm can learn how the Mansfield native became a well-known author, then a conservationist who helped innovate the world's farming practices. The farm became a state park in 1976.
Bromfield's home, known as The Big House, will be open for tours during the festival.
"People really enjoy visiting the Big House," Rogers said. "They get to do it for free. It's a self-guided tour."
Highlights of the festival will include traditional crafters that feature their works in weaving, woodworking, spinning, quilting and broom making.
Most of the artisans produce crafts during the festival in front of crowds of awestruck guests.
"They like the vendors stands, and the crafts," Rogers said. "We will have a bunch of food trucks, too."
Frontier demonstrations aplenty all weekend
The event also showcases a range of 18th-century skills demonstrations, such as blacksmithing, musket shooting and pioneer cooking.
Lucky guests will get chance to taste smoked ham the way it was eaten on the frontier more than a century ago.
"They'll be manning the smoke house," Rogers said.
That tasty treat will become available near the Big House at 1 p.m. each day until supplies run out.
Other festival highlights include:
The Malabar Antique Tractor Club will display vintage Willys Jeeps, antique tractors, antique engines and farm memorabilia.
The Johnny Appleseed Archeologist Chapter will be in the main barn on Sunday during the festival with various Native American artifacts on display.
The Spirit of Friends Antique and Primitive show will also feature crafters and antique booths around the visitor center and in the main barn on Saturday.
A free square dance will be held from 7-10 p.m. Saturday in the main barn beside the Big House. Experienced and beginner dancers are welcome.
Parking will be available at several locations throughout the state park, and a horse-drawn wagon will ferry guests between the working farm and the Big House.
Anyone interested in making their visit to Heritage Days a weekend trip is encouraged to contact Mohican Lodge and Conference Center in Perrysville at 800-282-7275 to reserve a room.
It's expected that after two slow years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's festival will return to true form.
"It will be back to normal," Rogers said. "The only thing is we've added a couple different vendors."
ztuggle@gannett.com
419-564-3508
Twitter: @zachtuggle
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Frontier living and conservation the highlight of Ohio Heritage Days
