STATE PARK EVENTS CELEBRATE OHIO'S FRONTIER HERITAGE
Malabar Farm, Beaver Creek, Burr Oak and Lake Hope state parks
plan pioneer days observances
COLUMBUS, OH - Several Ohio State Parks are inviting visitors to step back in time this fall with events that celebrate Ohio's frontier past, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County, Beaver Creek State Park in Columbiana County, Burr Oak State Park in Morgan County and Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County will recreate Ohio of the 1800s during selected weekends in September and October.
"There's no better place to learn how our Ohio forefathers lived, worked and played than at a heritage days event in an Ohio state park," said Dan West, chief of Ohio State Parks. "It's a learning experience that's both fun and free."
Malabar Farm State Park near Mansfield will hold its 24th annual Ohio Heritage Days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 23 and 24. Visitors will ride in horse drawn wagons from the parking area to the Big House, once home to writer and conservationist Louis Bromfield.
Portions of the first floor of the authentically preserved house will be open to the public free of charge. The house will be closed to guided tours. Pianist Steve Hall will perform in the entrance hall of the Big House on the Bromfield Steinway piano from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
About 70 old-time artisans and crafters will be on park grounds to provide demonstrations of frontier life skills such as broom and soap making. Draft horse pulls and plowing demonstrations are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday. Members of the Richland County Steam Threshers Association will be on hand with their vintage farm machinery in operation.
Civil War re-enactors dressed in vintage costumes will be camped in the park near the Big House.
An old-fashioned hoe down and square dance is planned for 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 23, in the Big Barn. Admission to all events is free.
Visitors are encouraged to wear casual clothes and comfortable shoes. For more information, contact the park office at (419) 892-2784.
Officials at Beaver Creek State Park near East Liverpool are preparing for the park's 22nd annual Pioneer Craft Days, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 7 and 8 at the park's Pioneer Village.
More than 100 crafters will be on hand, demonstrating time-honored skills such as blacksmithing, weaving, caning and candle making. Among the craft items available for sale will be dried flowers and herbs, hand-painted wooden toys and décor. Service organizations from the East Liverpool community will also sell a variety of wares.
A food concession, featuring hamburgers, sloppy joes, hotdogs and drinks will be open both days.
The Columbiana County Forests & Parks Council sponsors the annual event. Proceeds support operation of Pioneer Village and historic Gaston's Mill at the park. Gaston's Mill, which underwent significant improvements this year, will be open for public tours during the two days. For more information, contact the park office at (330) 385-3091.
A quilt exhibit and sale will be among the highlights of the annual Harvest Fest at Burr Oak State Park, near Glouster in southeastern Ohio. The event is set for October 13 through 15 at the park's lodge. Local bluegrass and country bands will provide live entertainment during the celebration's evening hours. There will be hayrides and an apple butter stir over an open fire. Dozens of crafters will demonstrate frontier arts such as violin and candle making.
Civil War and Ohio frontier encampments will provide living history demonstrations each day of the three-day event. For more information, contact the Burr Oak Lodge at (740) 767-2112.
Lake Hope State Park near McArthur will join in Vinton County's annual R.O.A.R. Day (Rural Ohio Appalachia Revisited) celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 28. Activities will include demonstrations of old-fashioned crafts such as flint knapping, doll making, wheat weaving and dulcimer making at the park's dining lodge. An Appalachian buffet will be served at the lodge from noon to 3 p.m. with local musicians performing live mountain music.
The park's nature center will host a pumpkin carving contest and Appalachian games, as well as an outdoor cooking demonstration. Nature center visitors can sample frontier delicacies such as sassafras tea, parched corn and warm cider all day long. The visitor center will also feature haunted hayrides and spooky animal displays in keeping with the Halloween season.
Jams, jellies and apple butter will be on sale at the restored Hope Schoolhouse Interpretive Center, located on park grounds. Local storytellers will recount tales from Vinton County's historic past. The schoolhouse will also host basket-making and woodcarving demonstrations.
Nearby Zaleski State Forest will also participate in R.O.A.R. Day with demonstrations of a working sawmill and blacksmith shop. Hayrides through the state forest will also be provided.
For more information on R.O.A.R. Day activities, call Lake Hope State Park at (740) 596-4938.
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For Further Information Contact:
Jean Backs, Ohio State Parks
(614) 265-7077
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860