Much that's old (and historical) and some that is new will be featured this year at the Bluffton-Pandora Swiss Community Historical Society's Fall Festival celebration on Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Schumacher Farmstead at 8350 Bixel Road.
Held annually, this event is part of the Bluffton community-wide Fall Festival celebration. New at the Homestead this year will be an Indian village, a Swiss chorus, a lecture on medicinal herbs, and the newly restored woodworking shop and flagstone floors and walkways.
The "old" traditional features of Fall Festival at the Homestead include, for the kids, a straw-bale maze, horse-drawn wagon rides, farm animals, a story-telling session with Bruce Steingass, face-painting and children's art activities, as well as children's games at the Indian encampment.
For everyone, a variety of traditional crafts and farm activities will be demonstrated, including horse plowing, corn shelling, roofing techniques, spinning thread, smoking meat, cooking over an open fire, woodworking, music, and food: popcorn popped over the fire, fire-roasted meat, potato soup, cider, donuts, coffee, bread and Swiss cheese.
The Indian village will be set up by the Boy Scouts on the banks of Riley Creek just below the Schumacher House. Throughout the day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Scouts will be demonstrating various aspects of Native American life of this area.
Following an occasional practice of the Schumacher family in the mid-1800's a chorus will convene at noon and at 2 p.m. on the second-floor porch of the house to sing traditional hymns. Local singers are welcome to join in singing these well-known German and English hymns.
At 11 a.m. a lecture on Medicinal Herbs will be presented by Jean Sommne, and throughout the day the newly restored workshop behind the house with its just completed flagstone floor and a flagstone walkway between the house and summer kitchen will be on display, as will the house, summer kitchen, Swiss farm garden, and barn.
Admission is free and open to the public.
