Pioneer Festivaling & Farm Crawling

I don't know about you, but I aim to head down to Corydon for a while late this afternoon to take in the Wayne County Historical Society's annual Pioneer Festival at Prairie Trails Museum. In case you've somehow failed to notice it during the last 40-plus years, Pioneer Trails is located on Highway 2 a couple of blocks east of the southeast corner of the square.

The fun begins at 3 p.m. and includes a variety of demonstrations --- rug weaving, making clay pots, blacksmithing, spinning, rope-making and more. There also will be actors stationed at various displays in the museum --- the Mormon exhibit, Robertson General Store, an area dedicated to Olympian George Saling and, of course, the Jesse James gang's robbery of Ocobock Bank --- to bring history to life.

There also will be games for the youngsters, door prizes, ice cream, apple cider and horse-drawn wagon rides.

A chuck wagon meal will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the Ballyhoo Foxtrot Combo will provide music in the barn beginning at 6 p.m. You can read more about the event by right-clicking on the page above --- from the historical society's most recent newsletter --- and opening in a new window.

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And then tomorrow, the annual Farm Crawl gets underway not far north of town at 11 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m.

This is an opportunity to visit (and snoop around) eight independent family farm operations that focus on small-scale production for direct sale to consumers. All are located on, near or within shooting distance of the Lucas-Marion county line.

The participants will be Blue Gate Farm, Coyote Run Farm, Crooked Gap Farm, Dan-D Farms, Pierce's Pumpkin Patch, Reichert's Dairy Air, Schneider Orchard and White Breast Pottery and Weaving.

Many of the farms also host guests who specialize in a variety of other products. Piper's Candy, for example, will be on display and for sale at Schneider Orchard and another Chariton operation, Stamps Family Farm, will be selling pastured pork products at Reichert's Dairy Air. 

Patrick Standley and Matt Russell will be serving up free borscht and dessert during the event at Coyote Run (think free lunch) and you'll be able to sample wine at Dairy Air and Peace Tree Brewing products at Blue Gate.

It's great, free fun --- and you can read more about it by going to the Farm Crawl 2013 Web site here.