Historical Society gearing up for 49th annual Harvest Festival
Organizers of the 49th annual Harvest Festival are hoping residents come to the Greene County Historical Society Museum to enjoy a full slate of activities that celebrate the area’s rich history and heritage.
In fact, they are so excited about this year’s event that instead of offering it over a typical 2-day weekend they are providing many presentations, lectures, re-enactments, encampments and much more over the span of a week.
The festival will kick off on Monday, Oct. 12 and conclude on Saturday, Oct. 17, with each day offering special activities geared for all ages.
“This is going to be a busy – and a very informative, and very fun – week at the museum grounds,” said Sam Gandy, Historical Society administrative assistant and event coordinator. “We decided that because this year has been so challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be better to present different activities over a week’s span during fewer hours each day so we would have smaller crowds adhering to all safety and social distancing guidelines.”
Gandy said last year’s festival was very well-attended, and when organizers met after the pandemic exploded they began developing plans as to how the festival could take place this October while addressing a potentially large crowd and adhering to safety guidelines.
“We felt that holding different events each night would alleviate both of those issues,” she said. “And by doing it this way, people can come and experience what the festival has to offer on a day of their choosing.”
The festival will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12 through Friday, Oct. 16, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.
On Monday, the festival will feature a Native American presentation by Todd “Ghost in the Head” Johnson beginning at 4 p.m. Tuesday will offer “Barn Bingo,” and on Wednesday there will be a “Forging Greene County” presentation at 5:30 p.m. by TJ Porfeli, who will talk about the W&A Young Foundry and Machine Shop.
On Thursday, a “Wonderful World of Fiber” presentation about wool and fiber will be conducted by Lena Galing at 4 p.m. and 4:45 p.m., and Friday will be Kid’s Night, which Gandy said will feature a wide array of games with a historical flair, a unique scavenger hunt and a presentation by Jim Weinshenker on the history of the W&W Railroad.
The festival will conclude on Saturday with a day of Civil War re-enactments at noon and 3 p.m., and historical encampments with the 140th PVI and the 31st Virginia units.
Throughout the day on Saturday, there will be assorted vendors in the museum barn who will be focusing on Halloween and paranormal themes. There will also be lecturers talking about various topics pertaining to paranormal activity, and residents attending these lectures will be seated in the museum barn while the presentations are offered virtually via Zoom.
The paranormal lectures will be presented by Joey and Tonya Madia at 1 and 4 p.m.
Gandy stressed that all times are tentative and subject to change.
Donations will be accepted for admission, with proceeds going to help the museum with its operating costs. Organizers will also accept non-perishable items as donations, which will be given to the Corner Cupboard Food Bank.
Gandy said the museum has a backup plan in place for the Harvest Festival should circumstances change because of COVID-19.
“If everything stays the same, we will be able to present the festival because of the current outdoor 250-maximum mandate,” she said. “However, if the mandates should change then we are ready and able to present this year’s festival virtually. Earlier this year, we held a car show and 5K run virtually and they went really well, so we’re able to do hold a virtual festival if needed.”
Gandy credited the organizers, historical society board members and volunteers who helped make this year’s festival possible.
“This has obviously been such unprecedented, unpredictable times, and everyone has worked diligently to overcome and adapt to the challenges,” she said. “It is important to all involved that we have this event, to help give people something to look forward to and attend, to provide some semblance of normalcy.”
Gandy has been coming to the Harvest Festival every year for nearly 20 years, and she said she is happy to see the festival return this year.
“It absolutely warms my heart that this is going to happen again this year,” she said. “We want everyone to come and enjoy what the festival has to offer. And we strongly encourage those attending to have fun and be safe. Please wear a face mask, practice social distancing and respect the guidelines.”
Gandy added that that next year’s festival is already being addressed.
“The 2021 Harvest Festival will celebrate the big 5-0, so hopefully we’ll be able to go back to providing an incredible two-day event that will give the milestone it truly deserves,” she said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
Additional details about the 49th annual Harvest Festival can be found on the Greene County Historical Society’s Facebook page and on the Society website, www.greenecountyhistory.org.