This year’s Schaefferstown Fall Harvest Fair and Early American Craft Show will be held Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Brenda Morrow, second vice president of the Historic Schaefferstown board of directors, said she was raised in Schaefferstown – her family helped out at the Schaeffer Farm “like everybody else in town did” – and later moved to New Jersey.
Morrow got involved with Historic Schaefferstown when she returned to the area a few years ago, splitting her time between Schaefferstown and New Jersey, to care for her parents. “It’s kind of my way of connecting with my ancestry,” Morrow said of her involvement with the nonprofit.
The Schaefferstown Fall Harvest Fair and Early American Craft Show will have on-site parking, with accessible parking spaces situated closer to the venue. Admission to the two-day event at the Alexander Schaeffer House, at 213 S. Carpenter St., is $5 and free for members and supervised youth under 12. Pets are not permitted.
“We had rain at our last cherry fair, so our attendance was down,” Morrow said. “We’re hoping for nice weather. I know that anywhere up to 500 people will come … depending on the weather and what other events are happening in the area.”
Attendees can tour the Alexander Schaeffer House, with its recently completed restoration projects, and the heirloom garden, which the nonprofit will soon plow and plant a cover crop in to eventually harvest for use in displays this spring.
“The farm is beautiful if you’ve never been here just to tour the facility because it’s literally like stepping back in time,” Morrow said. “I always think it just is kind of a little hidden gem there in Schaefferstown.”
Read More: At the historic Schaeffer farm, cows still roam the pastures
The event will feature live demonstrations of spinning, weaving, sawmilling, woodworking, and blacksmith forging. There will also be cooking and farming demonstrations. Antique farm machinery will be on display for visitors, and wagon rides will be offered.
Morrow said activities specifically geared toward youth include planting seeds and making beeswax candles.
Traditional folk music by Linda Russell and The Holt Twins will provide visitors with live entertainment.
“One of the big attractions, I think, is we have two area crafters who are nationally known. Ned Foltz is a potter. He is going to be selling some of his items that he made from the clay from the Alexander Schaeffer Farm.” Morrow said Barbara Strawser, a folk painter, will also be in attendance.
Something new coming to this year’s event is catering by Jedd Erdman and his team, featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, and similar food items. Local Amish will be selling pies, whoopie pies, dumplings, and other baked goods.
The Schaeffer Farm has a cider press, which will be used to press apple cider for the event. The nonprofit will also be making apple butter.
“We just appreciate all the volunteers because it is totally nonprofit and it totally runs on all-volunteer work,” Morrow said. Historic Schaefferstown is always ready to welcome more volunteers.
Read More: Historic Schaefferstown grieves the loss of volunteer Ken Eckert
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