Michelle Voydik, a wife, mother, and grandmother who will turn 60 this month and chairperson of the Isaac Meier Homestead, recently sat down with LebTown to discuss the homestead’s lineup of events for the remainder of 2024.
Annual country fair
The Isaac Meier Homestead will host its annual country fair on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 525 S. College St., Myerstown.
“Keeping our fingers crossed that there’s no rain,” Voydik said of the rain-or-shine event, since the past two country fairs were celebrated amid rainy conditions.
As of the writing of this article, Saturday was forecasted to be temperate and sunny, with a relatively low chance of precipitation.
This year’s country fair will feature a colonial-style duo and strolling violinist. Voydik hopes the weather will allow the musicians to set up outside so members of the public can set up their lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy.
Regardless of the weather, guests can enjoy guided tours of the homestead throughout the day.
The free-admission event, which is open to an unlimited number of attendees, will offer food and beverages for sale. “We make chicken corn noodle and bacon ham and bean soup in the big cast iron kettles over the open fire,” Voydik said.
Also for sale will be hot dogs, fried bologna sandwiches, baked goods from the bake sale, and — new this year — funnel cakes from the Richland Community Association.
Demonstrators and vendors at this year’s country fair will include someone open fire dyeing with natural dyes, spinning on the spinning wheel, weaving, handcarving spoons and bowls, and blacksmithing.
Children of all ages will be invited to participate in racing stick ponies, which were made using pool noodles by members of the Myerstown Recreation Commission. These races will kick off at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Voydik said the Myerstown Recreation Commission is “a small organization. We’re a small organization. So, trying to get enough people that we could run the whole thing is just impossible. So, we’ve been working together. Like when they have their music in the park, then they let us do a bake sale, so we can raise money for us, too. So, you know, it’s been a good working relationship between the two groups.”
Voydik added that although the Isaac Meier Homestead has turned into a sort of “family affair,” it is always looking for volunteers of all ages, abilities, and interests.
Children will also be invited to participate in racing Voydik’s niece’s goats, which will involve using halters to guide the goats to the finish line. This new element of the annual country fair will leave the start line at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
People of all ages will once again be invited to participate in tomahawk throwing down by the creek.
“Of course, we always have souvenirs,” Voydik said. The homestead is only able to accept cash and checks made payable to the Isaac Meier Homestead.
At the annual country fair, the homestead will debut its newest souvenir, 16″ x 20″ prints of a commissioned and donated painting of the homestead, which will be available for purchase at a rate of $50.
“Visit Lebanon Valley made us postcards with that picture on it, so we’ll be handing those out,” Voydik added.
The original painting is stored at the Myerstown Borough Office to keep it out of the elements.
Classes at the homestead
On Saturday, Oct. 12, the Isaac Meier Homestead will host two classes: open fire dyeing with natural dyes from 10 a.m. to noon and drop spindle spinning from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Margi Wright of Hamburg is back by popular demand according to Voydik to lead both classes at the homestead.
For the open fire dyeing with natural dyes class, Voydik said Wright “always does indigo because people like to see that.” She said the indigo dye “looks like green dye with a scum, and then you put the wool in, and then, when you pull it out, as it starts hitting the air, the oxygen turns it blue.”
In addition to the classic indigo, Voydik said Wright will “do madder, with I think it’s called cochineal bugs. … So, we’re hoping to get like a dark red that we can mix the red and the indigo and get a purple.”
Rubia tinctorum, or madder, is planted and grown for three to five years before it is dug up and its red roots are used for dyeing purposes.
Voydik said Wright revamps the non-indigo color that is used for the class at the homestead. For instance, she previously used marigold flowers, the end result of which varies from location to location depending on its water quality.
At the time of the interview, four openings remained for the open fire dyeing with natural dyes class. Adults who are interested must pre-register on Facebook and send a $25 payment.
Class members will go home with two skeins of dyed yarn and additional skeins for an additional rate.
For the drop spindle spinning class, Wright provides the drop spindle and the wool and “teaches you how to spin with the drop spindle,” Voydik said, “which is what the ladies back then would have done like when they went away, you can walk and do it, you know, or you’re visiting, you can still be doing something that you need for at home.”
In colonial gender roles, the women usually did the spinning and the men usually did the weaving, according to Voydik.
At the time of the interview, seven openings remained for the drop spindle spinning class. Youth in fourth grade up to adults who are interested must pre-register on Facebook and send a $20 payment.
Voydik said that Wright will bring along kits made up of a drop spindle and wool that class members can purchase for an additional $18, so they can continue the fun at home.
Then, on Saturday, Nov. 2, the Isaac Meier Homestead will host a sheep to yarn class from noon to 2 p.m.
For the third class in the homestead’s seasonal lineup of classes, Wright will return to the homestead to “teach how to pick through the wool once you shear the sheep, what isn’t good, and then you can put it in a compost pile, and what is good, how to wash it, how to comb it, they call it flicking,” Voydik said. “And then, she’s going to show us how to use it on the drop spindle and on the spinning wheel.”
At the time of the interview, one opening remained for the sheep to yarn class. Those who are interested must pre-register on Facebook and send a $25 payment.
“Keep an eye on Facebook,” Voydik said for the increase in classes projected for next year, which include but are not limited to colonial-period crafts, needle felting, basket making, and pottery plate making classes.
Haunted historical walk
Later on Saturday, Nov. 2, the Isaac Meier Homestead will host its first-ever haunted historical walk from 6 p.m. until around 8 p.m. The rain date is Sunday, Nov. 3, with the same timeframe.
The by-donation event is open to an unlimited number of attendees. Jonathan Miller, also known as the Hometown Historian, will lead the walking tour.
The walk will start at the homestead, continue to the tavern where Isaac Meier was shot, and eventually return to the homestead, where Miller will pick up another group.
Read More: ‘Hometown Historian’ to view Isaac Meier Homestead through eyes of WW2 soldier
Also that night, guests can tour the Isaac Meier Homestead and enjoy hot chocolate, hot mulled cider, and cookies.
Still pending approval is the Myerstown Recreation Commission’s request to have a campfire to roast hot dogs and marshmallows, the price of which has not been confirmed, for guests.
“We’re hoping that we can get somebody that plays the guitar maybe to sing around the campfire with everyone,” Voydik said. “And they’re looking also at hay rides.”
Kerzenlicht nacht, or candlelight night
Later that month, on Saturday, Nov. 30, the Isaac Meier Homestead will host kerzenlicht nacht, or candlelight night, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., following the Myerstown Holiday Parade. In the case of inclement weather, kerzenlicht nacht will be postponed to Sunday, Dec. 1.
During the free-admission event, guests can enjoy hot chocolate, hot mulled cider, and cookies, as well as music and guided tours of the homestead, which will be lit by candlelight.
Historical lantern walk
The following month, on Saturday, Dec. 14, the Isaac Meier Homestead will host the historical lantern walk from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The rain date for the by-donation event is Sunday, Dec. 15, with the same timeframe.
Voydik said there are no costs associated with the historical lantern walk, which will be led by Miller. “He’s going to do more of the Victorian-type houses,” Voydik said of Miller’s planned path.
Guests can also enjoy hot chocolate, hot mulled cider, and cookies, guided tours of the homestead, and a holiday craft led by the Myerstown Community Library. Earlier that week, people could create a lantern at the library to bring along on the historical lantern walk.
The Myerstown Recreation Board will also have Santa on the scene for pictures against a festive backdrop.
Annual winter giving fence
Voydik said she keeps the homestead decorated for the holidays through Jan. 6.
Starting Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, Voydik said, “We’ll be doing our annual winter giving fence, where we’ll have hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves on the fence. They’ll be here 24 hours a day. Anybody in need, come grab what you need.”
Voydik worked alongside Kathy Yang from the Myerstown Recreation Commission to start this initiative.
Last year, the Isaac Meier Homestead received 135 items donated to its winter giving fence, and, according to Voydik, 84 of those items were taken by community members in need.
There will be a box for donations at the Myerstown Community Library starting sometime in December. Those interested can donate handmade or new hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves in a plastic bag marked with the size if applicable.
“And then, we go up a couple times a week and stop in and then come down and put them on the fence,” Voydik said. “We had the whole outside of the fence and practically the whole inside of the fence filled last year. So, it was a really good event.”
This initiative is promoted via the Isaac Meier Homestead’s Facebook page. Voydik has also spoken with local school nurses and first responders, making them aware of this resource available to community members in need.
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