Festival Honors Local History

WAITSBURG - While there is still a bit of reprieve before the dreaded "fall back" in time requiring that clocks be adjusted to accom­modate the end of Daylight Savings Time, a more en­joyable step back in time is just around the corner. Waitsburg's annual Pioneer Fall Festival, a community celebration honoring local history, will take place Sun­day, September 15.

This year's festival kicks off at 11 a.m. with an out­door nondenominational church service led by First Christian Church pastor Mike Ferrians. Pioneer of the Year Wade Wolfe will be introduced following the service. In the case of rain both the church service and Pioneer of the Year award ceremony will take place at the Presbyterian Church.

The campus of the Bruce house and adjoining Wilson- Phillips house will hearken back to eras past with booths featuring blacksmithing, lace making, spinning, sack sewing, butter churning, candle making, whittling and more. Children are sure to enjoy the new kid's games booth as well as the old cars and toys booths. Shoppers are sure to find a souvenir or two as well - perhaps a lav­ender sachet or Bruce House postcard.

Musical entertainment will abound with groups and individuals playing ev­erything from Bluegrass to Gospel on the outdoor stage. A vintage fashion show will take place in front of the Bruce House at 2:30.

Throughout the day, tours of the restored Victorian Bruce Museum will be giv­en. The house was taken over by the Historical Soci­ety in 1971 and restored by local volunteers. "No gov­ernment money was used in any of the restorations on the property," said Waitsburg Historical Society President Jeff Broom. "A lot of people really like that."

The house features his­torically accurate rooms filled with original furniture and décor, as well as pe­riod antiques, many donated from local families. Violin­ists, piano players and pos­sibly even the Waitsburg Quartet will perform inside the house throughout the day. The Carriage House out back is home to a vintage school room display as well as home to several carriages. AJ Carriages will be provid­ing leisurely carriage rides as well.

Next door, the Wilson- Phillips house showcases the history of Huntsville in its rotating display, and includes several items from the archives of Pioneer of the Year, Wade Wolfe. Theme rooms in the house include a military room, a barber­shop, a hat and dress room, a sewing room and more. The adjoining Wilson-Phillips Garage will be open to the public for the first time with old-time equipment of all types on display.

The traditional buffalo dinner was missed last year, but will be back in the form of buffalo burgers at this year's event. Nachos, pies, ice cream and drinks will also be available on the grounds.

This year's celebration extends to the streets of Waitsburg with local busi­nesses on historic Main Street participating as well. Weller public library will host their annual books sale, with several downtown businesses offering specials or sales. Coppei Coffee will offer a selection of soups, sandwiches, salads and quiches, and Waitsburg Grocery has made-to-order pizzas as well as deli foods. A bulletin board on the grounds of the Bruce House will list the specials of participating merchants.

The First Christian Church - the oldest place of worship in Waitsburg, dating back to 1867 - will be open as well. The congregation met in a school house, then in the home of a local family, prior to building the church itself in 1905 at a cost of $15,000. The building features historic stained glass windows as well as a recently restored dome ceiling. The nearby Presbyterian Church will be open for public viewing as well.

The Waitsburg Histori- cal Society sponsors the Pioneer Fall Festival event each year as a public service to the community. Anyone interested in volunteering as a docent during the event is encouraged to contact Jeff Broom at 337-6688 or Mary Phillips at 337-6427.

Fall Festival Schedule:

11 a.m. Nondenominational

Church Service

12 p.m. Pioneer of the YearAward

12:10 p.m. Barnstormers

12:45 p.m. Bluegrass Kids

1:00 p.m. Turner Family

1:30 p.m. Kuykendall Family

2:00 p.m. Grandma & TheBoys

2:30 p.m. Vintage Style Show

3:00 p.m. Barnstormers

3:30 p.m. Open Jam