It’s ‘Harvest’ time at the Greene County museum
WAYNESBURG – Every year, when the leaves start to turn color, area residents can look forward to the Harvest Festival put on by the Greene County Historical Society.
Now in its 42nd year, the society hasn’t missed a single staging of the annual event since it started back in 1971.
This year, the museum and grounds around the society’s home on Rolling Meadows Road in Waynesburg will come alive with reenactor skirmishes, encampments, arts and crafts demonstrations and the firing up of some of the society steam engines from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 12 and 13
New this year, Bonnie Reese from the Meadowcroft Museum of Rural Life in Avella, Washington County, will show festival-goers how to spin yarn and weave on the society’s second floor loom.
Reese is being brought in for the festival through the Heritage Alliance of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a new organization of 130 small museums and historic sites and associations in Greene, Washington, Fayette, Westmoreland and a portion of Allegheny counties that was formed last year to share information and help promote one another.
“Our Harvest Festival is a celebratory experience for the whole family that sometimes includes demos of farm machinery such as threshers and features vendors selling harvest-time items such as corn stalks, jams and jellies and carved pumpkins,” said Eben Williams, museum director. “Our farm machinery such as thrashers, butter churns, broom making machines, plows, wagons, corn shellers and soil aerators will be on display both in our barn and outdoors. To answer questions posed by our visitors, volunteers will float around in the barn and grounds outside.”
“This year we’ll have, as we have in the past, our local Civil War era reenacting groups, the 140th Pennsylvania Volunteers, join us representing the Union troops and the 2nd Virginia, representing the Confederates,” Williams said. “Besides setting up a Civil War encampment on the grounds, the two groups will stage live skirmishes at 3 p.m. on both days”
Reenactors representing the 1st Virginia during French and Indian War will also set up a colonial tavern is a two room cabin behind the museum, and Ghost-in-the-Head will set up a wigwam and display Native American tools and implements.
Tom Hritz will give live demonstrations of log sculpting with a chain saw and create figures such as eagles, owls, Santa Clauses, snowmen and bears. Hritz’s figures will also be available for purchase.
New to this year’s roster of 34 vendors, Jerry Gabeletto will be on hand selling bird houses made from PVC pipe, and Steve Belovich will demonstrate and sell a line of ceramics.
Some of the returning vendors include Bernie Blasko selling homemade knives, and Greg Watson selling wooden items such as toys, boxes and Harry Potter magic wands. For those with a sweet tooth, Sue Jeffries of Maple Sugar Camp will sell an array of maple products such as syrup, candy and maple covered nuts and a representative of Joyce’s Open Kettle Fudge will be on hand with a variety of fudge flavors.
To slake the appetites of festival goers, the historical society will sell foods such as pulled pork sandwiches, pierogis, stuffed cabbage, haluski, beans and assorted pies. Moore’s Hot Dogs will also set up a stand, a local boy scout troop will sell funnel cakes and fried Oreos and the Greene County 4-H Rabbit Club will sell “walking tacos,” crushed Dorito chips topped by cooked ground beef, cheese and lettuce.
Live entertainment will feature five Christian bands and musicians Nathan Chess and Frank Melega. James (Fuzzy) Randolph will also make an appearance playing the bagpipes. For the younger set, a Kid’s Corner will entertain with a set of activities. Inside the museum, festival-goers will be able to view the new Governor Edward Martin exhibit, which opened in September and will be up through the beginning of November.
“The Harvest Festival is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and draws between 2,100 and 2,500 visitors annually,” Williams said. “It is one of our best revenue generators. Although we get a small grant from the county, most of our funding comes from our events and membership in the society.”
Recently, the state stopped funding the society and membership has declined from around 325 five years ago to 86 at the latest count. The society has tried to increase membership by offering a quarterly newsletter with articles on history, museum projects and museum events in addition to allowing members free admission to the museum and a ten percent discount in the gift shop.
“Currently, we’re looking for donations to put on a new roof at the 100-year-old, one-room Crouse schoolhouse in Rogersville,” Williams said. “Our end goal is to have the schoolhouse serve as a satellite site for the historical society.”
Admission to the festival is $5 for adults, $3 for those 65 and older and free to those 15 and under. For more information, call 724-627-3204.
Below is a listing of upcoming events at the Greene County Museum:
n Oct. 18: Haunted Happenings at GCHS. Join the Greene County Historical Society as they welcome the Western Pennsylvania Paranormal Hunters, as they share their results from investigations of the GCHS Museum and W. A. Young Foundry. The event will also have WPPH best evidence from other investigations and a chance for locals to recount their own haunted happenings. The Haunted Happenings Event will be held from 6 to 10 p.m.
n Oct. 26: Flashlight Fright Night at GCHS. Ghosts, ghouls, hosts and haunts. Activities will be inside and outside of the museum. Lantern-lit museum tours, haunted hayride, Halloween costume contest, special guest DJ Dave Plavi, refreshments, and much more. Open from 7 to 11 p.m. Admission is $5. If you are scared of the dark, bring a flashlight, because it’s lights out on this night out.
n Nov. 2: Experiencing History Movie and Lecture Series “The Lost Battalion.” Fact-based war drama about an American battalion of over 500 men which gets trapped behind enemy lines in the Argonne Forest in October, 1918 France during the closing weeks of World War I. Lecture starts at 6 p.m. and the movie will follow. There will be refreshments and popcorn.
n Nov. 23, 24 and 30 and Dec. 1: GCHS Christmas Open House. Celebrate the holiday season a little early this year at the annual GCHS Christmas Open House. As in years past, the staff will adorn the museum in an array of holiday decorations with train displays and a Christmas tree decorating contest. Candlelight tours and seasonal goodies will be available during each evenings event. The Christmas Open House will be from 3 to 7 p.m. on both weekends and admission is free.